LEST WE FORGET
Leading Aircraftman George Lindon RUSSELL
Service No: 413261
Born: Annandale NSW, 21 May 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 August 1941
Unit: No. 8 Service Flying Training School, Bundaberg QLD
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 8 Service Flying Training School Anson aircraft AX656), off Bundaberg, 5 October 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Agnes Russell; foster son of Leila M. Lowe, of Annandale, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 7, Sydney Memorial, Rookwood NSW
Remembered: Panel 116, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 5 October 1942, Anson AX656 took off from Bundaberg for a 1 hour 40 minute instrument flying exercise and failed to return. When the aircraft was overdue, 20 aircraft searched the area with no result. On 11 October 1942, wreckage from the aircraft was washed ashore at Wreck Rock.
Also that day, a back pad of a parachute harness was found on the beach at Moore Park. It was considered possible that parachutes were worn by the crew, as the one found was one of three parachutes missing from Z Flight at 8SFTS. It was considered that the aircraft had crashed into the sea, and all the crew members had been killed.
The crew members of AX656 were:
Leading Aircraftman Kevin Lynch (414247) (Trainee Pilot)
Leading Aircraftman George Lindon Russell (413261) (Trainee Pilot)
Pilot Officer George William Turner (273754) (Instructor 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, 163/159/102; A9845, 62