LEST WE FORGET
Corporal Cecil John STRATTEN
Service No: 21203
Born: Stockton NSW, 14 March 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 June 1940
Unit: No. 79 Squadron
Died: Lightning Strike, Admiralty Islands, 24 November 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Port Moresby (Bomana) War Cemetery PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry George and Kathleen Amelda Stratten, of Merewether West, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Newcastle NSW
Remembered: Panel 104, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 24 November 1943, Corporal Stratten, a Fitter II Airframe, was struck by lightning while on duty at the South airstrip. During a violent thunderstorm with torrential rain and lightning, Corporal Stratten was under the wing of an aircraft, but owing to the heavy rain moved to a nearby hut in the Wireless Section. He spread his ground sheet on the floor as the floor was wet. A large flash of lightning lit up inside the hut, and Corporal Stratten was seen to be thrown over on his back.
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, 166/38/341