LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Charles James Silas PARSONS
Service No: 408089
Born: Scottsdale TAS, 27 July 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 10 October 1940
Unit: No. 203 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 203 Squadron Blenheim aircraft Z7902), off the North African Coast, 14 April 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Silas and Ida Margaret Parsons; husband of Nancy Alison Parsons, of Launceston, Tasmania, Australia
Roll of Honour: Scottsdale TAS
Remembered: Column 265, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0930 hours on 14 April 1942 Blenheim Z7902 took off from Bu Amud to carry out an operational reconnaissance over the Mediterranean. The aircraft was due back at base at 1530 hours, but it failed to return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1948 that the missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of Z7902 were:
Flight Lieutenant Miles Brunette Bowker (80386) (RAFVR) (Pilot) (from South Africa)
Sergeant Harold John Hayes (400581) (Observer)
Sergeant Charles James Silas Parsons (408089) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
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, 163/149/180