LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Harold Mason PARKER
Service No: 403763
Born: Inverell NSW, 30 March 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941
Unit: No. 453 Squadron, RAF Station Perranporth, Cornwall
Died: Air Operations: (No. 453 Squadron aircraft EP252), off the Scilly Isles, 8 October 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Leslie Shelton Parker and Madge Greta Parker, of Inverell, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 188, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 8 October 1943, Spitfires EP252 flown by Flying Officer Parker and EP364 flown by Flight Lieutenant Russell Herbert Sydney Ewins (405117) (Discharged: 8 August 1945) were lost at sea in the Atlantic Ocean approximately 80 miles south south west of the Scilly Islands. Seven aircraft from the Squadron had been engaged on an offensive patrol and at 0833 hours on the homeward journey eight Me110 s were sighted and the Squadron proceeded to engage them. During the dog fight, Red 1 – Squadron Leader Donald George Andrews DFC (404795) (O11557) (Discharged: 5 April 1946) – saw a Spitfire on fire and dive straight into the sea without anyone baling out. The formation destroyed five Me110s. Reds 1 and 2 and Yellow 4 then proceeded to give distress calls for Flight Lieutenant Ewins who was seen to bale out and was later picked up by a destroyer.
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, 166/32/201