LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant David John SHEARMAN

Service No: 411394
Born: Perth WA, 24 June 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 April 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 53 Repair and Salvage Unit RAF
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 53 Repair and Salvage Unit Kittyhawk aircraft), Tunisia, 2 May 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Dr. Cyril Howard Shearman and Jean Grace Shearman, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 12, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Former Commercial Banking Company of Sydney Head Office Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW

On 2 May 1943, Flight Sergeant Shearman was authorised to fly a Kittyhawk from Bou-Grara Landing Ground to carry out aerobatics for one hour at 12,000 feet and took-off at 0915 hours.
At 1015 hours the Flight Commander leading four aircraft in formation practice observed Flight Sergeant Shearman flying in the aerodrome circuit at 1,000 feet heading in a south west direction, and that the aircraft seemed under complete control. At 1115 hours when the endurance of the aircraft had expired, the Flight Commander searched the area but no trace of the missing aircraft or pilot was found. Extensive searches were then carried out but were unsuccessful. The weather at the time was visibility of 3/4 miles at 2,000 feet and deteriorating. In 1948 it was recorded that Flight Sergeant Shearman had no known grave.

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, 166/37/83
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line

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