LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Ernest George PAINTER
Service No: 400287
Born: Camberwell VIC, 7 December 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 August 1940
Unit: No. 6 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 6 Operational Training Unit Hudson aircraft T9381), North Sea, 29 October 1941, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Ernest and Evelyn Mary Painter, of Werribee, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Werribee VIC
Remembered: Panel 63, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 29 October 1941 Hudson T9381 was detailed to carry out daytime local flying practice in the vicinity of the Thornaby aerodrome. The local weather at the time was suitable for local flying. There was however a poor weather forecast and the crews were warned to keep a close watch on the weather. About an hour after take off a snow storm developed over the aerodrome. T9381 was not seen again after the first take off, and intensive searches could not locate the missing aircraft or crew members. All other aircraft in the air at the same time landed safely.
The crew members of T9381 were:
Sergeant Ernest George Painter (400287) (Pilot)
Sergeant Phillip Norman Lloyd (928435) (RAFVR) (Second 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, 163/149/129