LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Ian Frank McMANUS

Service No: 404056
Born: Brisbane QLD, 10 June 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 29 April 1940
Unit: No. 21 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Station Lossiemouth
Died: Air Operations: (No. 21 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft X3179), North West Europe, 25 June 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. A. H. McManus, of Greenslopes, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 111, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On 16 May 1941, Flight Sergeant McManus was interned in Portugal when the aircraft of which he was a crew member had a forced landing in Portugal during an aircraft delivery flight to the Mediterranean Area.

At 2229 hours on 25 June 1942 Wellington X3179 took off from RAF Station Edgehill to bomb Bremen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1949 that the missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.

The crew members of X3179 were:

Flight Sergeant Frank Cross (639771) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Ian Frank McManus (404056) (Pilot)
Sergeant Arthur O’Quinn (1356185) (RAFVR) (Front Air Gunner)
Sergeant Norman Frank Poulton (1214222) (RAFVR) (Rear Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer James George Simpkin (580847) (RAF) (Observer)

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, 163/141/235

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

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