LEST WE FORGET
Corporal John Mitchell LACE
Service No: 26907
Born: Swan Hill VIC, 12 June 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 June 1940 (at Adelaide SA)
Unit: No. 457 Squadron, Morotai
Died: Ground Accident, Morotai, 10 February 1945, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Ambon War Cemetery, Indonesia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles John and Jessie Hunter Lace; husband of Phyllis Ethel Lace, of East Brunswick, Victoria, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
At 1700 hours on 11 February 1945, Corporal Lace, a Fitter II Engines, was accidentally killed while on duty by a falling tree blown down in strong winds. The tree fell across a hard standing area on No. 457 Squadron’s taxiway at Pitoe Airstrip, Morotai. Corporal Lace and others were sheltering in a tent close by and the other personnel were injured in the accident.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/24/692