LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Jack MARCHANT DFC
Service No: 400478
Born: Warracknabeal VIC, 14 June 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 September 1940
Unit: No. 83 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Wyton
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 27 October 1942 (Citation Title: No. 83 Squadron RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 83 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED353), Germany, 20 December 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John James Hood Marchant and Kate Marchant; husband of Rita Marchant, of East St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Warracknabeal VIC
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
DFC Citation: Pilot Officer Marchant has displayed an outstanding courage and determination to press home attacks. He has set an example worthy of the highest praise. (London Gazette 17 October 1942 page 4643)
At 1824 hours on the night of 20 December 1942 Lancaster ED353 took off from Wyton detailed to bomb Duisberg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Duisberg Wedau and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of ED353 were:
Pilot Officer Kenneth Edward Edwards (137212) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Lieutenant Jack Marchant DFC (400478) (Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Fenton Charles Oldmeadow (400731) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Jack Phipp (137598) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Douglas Norman Powell (533840) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Richard Leslie Romig (1310977) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Edward Smith (1110205) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
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, 163/44/188