LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Ian Harper STIRRAT
Service No: 404186
Born: Rockhampton QLD, 21 October 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 June 1940
Unit: No. 112 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 112 Squadron Tomahawk aircraft AK502), Libya-Egypt border, 4 October 1941, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Halfaya Sollum War Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Andrew Harper Stirrat and Mary Ethel Louise Stirrat, of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 4 October 1941Tomahawk AK502 along with five other aircraft from the Squadron was detailed to patrol an area west of Sidi Omar. AK502 was No. 2 of the second pair of three aircraft. The formation was attacked by six or more ME109s at a height of 10,000 feet, and in the ensuing combat AK502 was shot down and Sergeant Stirrat was killed.
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, 163/163/231
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002