LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Albert John MOFFATT
Service No: 408352
Born: Ingham QLD, 15 April 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 December 1941 (at Hobart TAS)
Unit: RAF Station Gianaclis, Egypt
Died: Aircraft Accident (Ventura aircraft FP673), near Gianaclis, 28 June 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ralph and Elsie Elizabeth Moffatt, of Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Roll of Honour: Launceston TAS
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 28 June 1944, Ventura FP673 had returned from a night navigation exercise to Gianaclis and was carrying out a final turn on the approach to land when the accident occurred. A standard double flare path was in use. The Pilot of another aircraft in the air at the same time reported that his windscreen misted up at the time of the accident, and it was considered possible the Pilot of Ventura FP673 was watching the flare path, and not his instruments. From witnesses on the ground it appeared that the aircraft had spun in. The aircraft crashed at 2355 hours two miles south of the Gianaclis aerodrome, and the crew of four was killed.
The crew members of FP673 who were all under training were:
Flight Sergeant Stephen Michael Fosbery (421322) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Albert John Moffatt (408352) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Lawrence Kerr Scott (410566) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Allan Yeomans (422791) (Pilot)
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, 166/28/349