LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Russell Bruce Douglas SHIELD
Service No: 23256
Born: Brisbane QLD, 2 August 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 August 1940
Unit: Armament School
Died: Aircraft Accident (Armament School Wirraway aircraft A20-283), Hamilton VIC, 8 January 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Hamilton Public Cemetery, Victoria
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Albert and Barbara Ann Shield, of Toowong, Queensland
Roll of Honour: Toowong QLD
Remembered: Panel 117, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1050 hours on 8 January 1943, Wirraway A20-283 crashed at Hamilton and both the crew members were killed. The aircraft was on a non-operational training flight detailed to give air experience to aerodrome defence instructors, and it stalled on a turn and spun in from 100 feet.
When it crashed, the aircraft struck Demon A1-1 seriously injuring Sergeant Stanley Patrick Joseph Fogarty (8149) (Discharged: 26 March 1946) who was working on the aircraft at the time of the accident.
The crew members of A20-283 were:
Sergeant Douglas Robert Ramsay (409223) (Staff Pilot)
Sergeant Russell Bruce Douglas Shield (23256) (Fitter Armourer, Supernumerary)
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, 166/37/9; A9845, 174