LEST WE FORGET

Sergeant Leslie Miller READETT

Service No: 402557
Born: Sydney NSW, 29 December 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 September 1940
Unit: No. 451 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 451 Squadron Hurricane aircraft V7774), Libya, 3 September 1941, Aged 19 Years
Buried: Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Leslie John and Margaret Bridget Eva Readett, of Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: North Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: M.W.S. and D.B. (Metropolitan Water Sewerage and Drainage Board) 1939-1945 memorial, Sydney NSW

On 3 September 1941, Hurricane V7774 flown by Sergeant Readett was flying in formation with Pilot Officer Charles Edward Edmondson DFC (402236) (Discharged: 6 December 1945) in another Hurricane, detailed to carry out a tactical reconnaissance of the Capuzzo area. The formation encountered enemy aircraft approaching from about 3,500 feet and dived in the direction of Sollum. It pulled out of its dive at about 2,000 feet and Pilot Officer Edmonson executed a climbing turn to see if V7774 was following. He saw V7774 engaged in a fight with the enemy aircraft and he took on an ME 109. Two more ME109sjoined in the attack on V7774 and Edmonson continued to turn right and opened fire on one of the enemy planes when his guns jammed. Edmonson called break away on the radio and turned out to sea diving towards the coast, and landed at the Barina landing ground. He did not see what happened to V7774 which failed to return to base.

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, 163/156/75
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line

Bibliography:

Winter, V.A. (Vincent Adams) (408547) Noble Six Hundred: the story of the Empire Air Training Scheme with special reference to Australians who trained in Southern Rhodesia, V.A. Winter Brighton VIC 3186

Book Now Book Now