LEST WE FORGET
Squadron Leader John Frederic PETTIGREW
From Australia serving in the Royal Air Force
Service No: 36156 (RAF)
Born: Haberfield NSW, Date unavailable
Enlisted in the RAF: Date unavailable
Unit: Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment, RAF Station Boscombe Down
Died: Aircraft Accident (A&AEE Hurricane aircraft HW187), Boscombe Down, 24 August 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Durrington Cemetery, Wiltshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Gavin and Alma Pettigrew; husband of Florence Grace Pettigrew, of Banham, Norfolk
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Squadron Leader Pettigrew was an Australian Cadet trained for the RAF who embarked for the UK on 16 July 1938.
On 7 June 1940, Squadron Leader Pettigrew serving with No. 151 Squadron RAF was shot down by an Me109 near Le Treport, France. He was wounded but it is not certain whether he was captured and escaped prior to his return to his unit.
On 24 August 1944, Squadron Leader Pettigrew flying Hurricane HW187 was killed in a mid-air collision with Hurricane KX176 at Boscombe Down.
References:
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Franks, Norman L R, Royal Air Force Fighter Command Losses of the Second World War, Volume 1 Operational Losses: Aircraft and Crews 1939-1941, Midland Publishing UK, 1997
Newton, Dennis A Few of the Few: Australians and the Battle of Britain, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT 2600, 1990
Newton, Dennis First Impact, Banner Books, Maryborough QLD 4650, 1997
RAF Commands Website
Roberts, Thomas V Wingless: a biographical index of Australian Airmen detailed in wartime, Thomas V Roberts, Ballarat VIC 3350, 2011