LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant David McLellan STEWART
Service No: 400545
Born: Charlton VIC, 30 July 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 15 September 1940
Unit: No. 211 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 211 Squadron Blenheim aircraft), Sumatra area, 21 February 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: No additional information
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Column 421, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 21 January 1942, a number of Blenheim aircraft from No. 211 Squadron left Kiladjati, Java, to raid Japanese shipping in the river near Palembang. The crews of other aircraft engaged on the same raid stated that the formation ran into a heavy storm before reaching Sumatra and was split up. Independent attacks were carried out but nothing was seen or heard of Sergeant Burrage’s aircraft after the formation parted company.
The crew members were:
Sergeant John Allan Burrage (400643) (Pilot)
Sergeant Malcolm Dalton McDonald (404298) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant David McLellan Stewart (400545) (Observer)
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, 163/57/180