LEST WE FORGET

Pilot Officer Frank Phillip STANGER

Service No: 413683
Born: Ballina NSW, 10 November 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 1941
Unit: No. 252 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 252 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft LZ41), Aegean Sea, 9 February 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frank Howard Stanger and Evelyn Maude Victoria Stanger, of Beecroft, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Column 281, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Beecroft War Memorial Cenotaph, Beecroft NSW
Remembered: Epping Methodist Church World War II Memorial, Epping NSW
Remembered: Beecroft Methodist Church World War 2 Roll of Honour, Beecroft NSW
Remembered: Parramatta High School Second World War Honour Roll, Parramatta NSW

On 9 February 1944 Beaufighter LZ 141 took off in a formation of four Beaufighters making an offensive sweep of the Eastern Aegean Sea. At 1313 hours at Patmos off Zulufi, a convoy of 2 small vessels of 1,000/2,000 tons plus an escort vessel in position 37.20N 026.47E, course 11degees, speed 11 knots was sighted. It is thought that two Arados were also circling the convoy.  A radio message from LZ141 stated “Turn about port”. About this time another Beaufighter sighted 3 enemy aircraft slightly above and some 2,000 yards north west of the formation. In the ensuing encounter this same aircraft saw one Beaufighter dive into the sea pursued by an enemy aircraft 50 yards behind. It is thought that the remaining two Beaufighters were chased towards the south west by the other two enemy machines. Three Beaufighters were reported missing from this encounter, including LZ141. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1949 that the missing crew members had no known graves.

The crew members of LZ414 were:

Flight Sergeant James Samuel Loriot Reynolds (1320816) (RAF) (Navigator/Wireless)
Pilot Officer Frank Phillip Stanger (413683) (Pilot)

The other No. 252 Squadron members lost in this action were:

Flight Sergeant Walter Henry Boon (1192418) (RAFVR)
Flight Sergeant Alfred William Squires (1391766) (RAFVR)

Flight Sergeant Peter Grieve (1395133) (RAFVR) (Navigator / Wireless)
Flight Lieutenant Reginald Henry Rome Meyer (100613) (RAFVR) (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, 166/38/420
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line

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