LEST WE FORGET
Captain Gavin Alexander PORTER
From Australia serving in the Royal Flying Corps
Service No: Not Assigned
Unit: 13th Squadron, Royal Flying Corps
Died: Air Operations, France, 5 December 1915, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Achiet-le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension, Pas de Calais, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alexander and Hannah Porter, of Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Remembered: Commemorative Roll, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Captain Porter is the first Australian to be killed in aerial combat.
While escorting a photographic reconnaissance mission aircraft on 5 December 1914, Captain Porter and Air Mechanic First Class Harry Josiah Kirkbride (2036) RFC (Gunner), flying BE2c aircraft 4092, were shot down near Bapaume.
References:
Australian War Memorial Commemorative Roll On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives UK Casualty Book AIR 1/967 page 9c, 228191