LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John MacTAGGART
Service No: 405752
Born: Brisbane QLD, 23 November 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 May 1941
Unit: No. 3 Squadron
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 3 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft ET871), Egypt, 18 August 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Alexandria (Chatby) and Military War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Lacy MacTaggart and Marjorie Jane Gilmore MacTaggart, of Ascot, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 98, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 18 August 1942, Kittyhawk ET871 was one of a formation of five aircraft carrying out practice bombing and gunnery. At 1835 hours the formation leader led an attack on the target at 6,000 feet, and each aircraft dived to release its bombs at 4,000 feet. Flying Officer MacTaggart appeared to execute the initial attack satisfactorily, but failed to pull out clearly, and spun in with insufficient height for his parachute to operate.
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, 163/46/62