LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Hector Squire O’DONNELL
Service No: 403226
Born: Randwick NSW, 22 may 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 4 January 1941
Unit: No. 451 Squadron
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 451 Squadron Hurricane aircraft Z4554), Cyprus, 25 November 1942, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Nicosia War Cemetery, Cyprus
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick Tertius Squire and Vera Pearl Julia O’Donnell; husband of Violet Lillian O’Donnell, of Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Burwood NSW
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0800 hours on 25 November 1942, Hurricane Z4554 crashed when carrying out a forced landing and Flying Officer O’Donnell was killed. A Pilot in an accompanying aircraft stated that he was flying at approximately 1,000 feet in a formation of three aircraft over the east coast of Cyprus near cape Elsa, and just after turning and heading back for base he noticed that Z4554 was losing height. The aircraft belly landed on the beach and burned.
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, 163/50/77