LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Dennis Louis James LAWRENCE
Service No: 404018
Born: London, England, 13 March 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1940 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 69 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 69 Squadron aircraft), off the Tunisian Coast, 13 August 1941, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Massicault War Cemetery, Tunisia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Louis and Agnes Muir Lawrence, of Townsville, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Sergeant Lawrence was the pilot of a No. 69 Squadron aircraft detailed to drop tracts in a daylight flight over Bizerta, Tunisia, on 13 August 1941. The aircraft crashed into the sea off Bizerta. On 15 August, the American Consulate in Tunis reported that Sergeant Lawrence had died when his parachute failed to function while the other two crew members were taken from the sea and were interned.
The crew members were:
Sergeant J M Alexander (745637) (RAFVR) (Navigator) Interned
Sergeant Dennis Louis James Lawrence (404018) (Pilot)
Sergeant F W Wilkins (759058) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator) Interned
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/136/77
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002