LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Bernard Francis LEE
Service No: 414550
Born: Brisbane QLD, 1 April 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 October 1941
Unit: No. 247 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident: (No. 247 Squadron Typhoon aircraft MN998), Netherlands, 28 September 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frank and Hanora Hannah Lee, of Paddington, Queensland, Australia. A.A.U.Q.
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1100 hours on 28 September 1944 Typhoon MN998 flown by Pilot Officer Lee was attacking with cannon and rockets a target south west of Boxtel when it was last seen spinning into the target and hit the ground bursting into flames. The tail of the aircraft had broken off after pulling out of its dive. MN998 was flying No 3 in Yellow Section in a propaganda beat up of a wood south west of Boxtel. The aircraft dived on the target and No 4 aircraft who followed No 3 down said “Group Captain Green who was leading the formation went into the attack followed by his No. 2 who went into attack and seen to fire his rockets. Yellow 4 stated that he saw a small panel come off Pilot Officer Lee’s aircraft, then the tail came completely off and the aircraft went into a spin and crashed into the ground.” The aircraft was seen by several other pilots going up in flames. All pilots reported no anti-aircraft fire of any kind, and the apparent cause of the accident was not the result of enemy action.
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, 166/24/444