LEST WE FORGET

Warrant Officer Garnett PRATT

Service No: 429155
Born: Temora NSW, 22 October 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 27 October 1942
Unit: No. 215 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 215 Squadron Dakota aircraft KN283), India, 2 June 1945, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Gauhati War Cemetery, Assam, India
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Albert Ernest and Mary Jane Pratt, of Manly, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Manly NSW
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Junee Cenotaph, Junee NSW
Remembered: Manly ANZAC War Memorial, Manly NSW

On a non-operational flight on 2 June 1945 Dakota KN283 crashed at 0700 hours nine miles south east of Karin, and all on board were killed. The aircraft encountered violent turbulence when flying in cumulus cloud, it was stressed beyond design limits and it disintegrated while airborne.

The crew members of KN283 were:

Flight Sergeant Ronald Percival Elston (1586343) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Terry Dennis Moren (1255688) RAFVR) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant William Spencer Kitson Norton (2235205) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Garnett Pratt (429155) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Paul Sartin (1587320) (RAFVR) (Co-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, 166/33/376
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line

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