LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Angus MILNE
Service No: 407091
Born: Wirrabara SA, 21 June 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 27 May 1940
Unit: No. 51 Squadron (RAF), RAF Dishforth, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 51 Squadron Whitley aircraft Z6811), Netherlands, 19 August 1941, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Uden War Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur and Eva Milne, of Wirrabara, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Wirrabara SA
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Brother of Flight Sergeant Donald Harold Milne (416596)
Whitley Z6811 took off from RAF Dishforth at 2134 hours on the night of 18 August 1941, detailed to bomb Cologne, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at 0200 hours near Malden (Gelderland), 5 kms south of Nijmegen. It was though that the aircraft may have collided with an enemy night fighter. Three of the crew were killed in the crash and two became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of Z6811 were:
Sergeant F W Coles (929448) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner) PoW
Sergeant John Alexander Barrie Jamieson (1002131) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Howard Robert Franklin Johnston (R/75095) (RCAF) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Angus Milne (407091) (Observer)
Pilot Officer F W Shorrock (J/4873) (RCAF) (Second Pilot) PoW
Pilot Officer Shorrock later reported “When we were shot down I could see no chance of Milne’s life having been saved. I cannot make a more definite statement but I believe that he was killed. Sergeant Cole survived.”
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/144/106