LEST WE FORGET
Corporal Darcy Arthur John SHARLAND
Service No: 36648
Born: Sydney NSW, 5 October 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 May 1941
Unit: No. 1 Photographic Reconnaissance Unit
Died: Air Operations: (319th Bombardment Squadron USAAF Liberator aircraft D41-23731), New Guinea area, 16 March 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. W. D. Sharland, of Kingsford, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 7, Lae Memorial PNG
Remembered: Panel 104, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 16 March 1943, Liberator D41-23731 was one of four B24s that took off from Fenton to carry out an armed reconnaissance over Dobo, New Guinea. The aircraft exploded and disintegrated in position 04.07S 134.16E when flying at 5,000 feet and all on board were killed. Corporal Sharland, a photographer, was on the mission as a volunteer as the USAAF were short of photographers and had requested RAAF assistance. The Captain of the Liberator was Captain Jones USAAF, the Commanding Officer of the 319th Bombardment Squadron.
Details of the USAAF crew members are not available on Corporal Sharland’s Casualty File.
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/37/55
Bibliography:
Nelmes, M.V. (Michael) Tocumwal to Tarakan: Australians and the Consolidated B-24 Liberator, Banner Books Belconnen ACT 2616, 1994