LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Peter O’CONNELL
Service No: 403761
Born: North Sydney NSW, 25 November 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941
Unit: No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit (RAF), RAF Station Benson
Died: Air Operations: (No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit Spitfire aircraft AB120), North West Europe, 11 August 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Michael Joseph and Kathleen Clare O’Connell, of Lane Cove, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Lane Cove NSW
Remembered: Panel 113, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Australia Remembers 1945-1995 Memorial, Lane Cove NSW
On the afternoon of 11 August 1942 Spitfire AB120, took off from Mount Farm to carry out an operational photographic reconnaissance of the Wilhelmshaven and Kiel areas, 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 1948 that Sergeant O’Connell had lost his life at sea.
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, 163/148/275
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line