LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Frederick Lloyd SYMONS
Service No: 409251
Born: Ballarat VIC, 1 September 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 July 1941
Unit: No. 204 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Bathurst, Gambia
Died: Aircraft Accident: (No. 204 Squadron Sunderland aircraft DV991), Gambia, 13 July 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Fajara War Cemetery, Gambia
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Percy and Violet Symons; husband of Agnes Annie Symons of Werneth, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Ballarat VIC
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 13 July 1944 Sunderland DV991 took off from Gambia detailed to carry out an operational patrol. The take-off run was long and this took the aircraft into rough water. After the last bounce the aircraft was observed to be in an attitude with the nose 45 degrees above the horizontal. The aircraft then stalled with nose and wing down, crashed into the water and broke up. The aircraft sank in a matter of seconds, and immediately it was submerged there was a very heavy explosion, presumed to be the depth charges exploding, followed by fire on the water. All on board the aircraft were killed.
The crew members of DV991 were:
Sergeant Reginald Platts Gomersal Allen (1605613) (RAFVR) (Flight Mechanic Engines/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Henry Beanland (1508774) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John William Richard Cox (638241) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Jack Bernard Parkin (1605334) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Bernard Henry Alexander Puig (1390937) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Anthony Greig Staffiere (124941) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Eric Charles Stilwell (1286652) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Frederick Lloyd Symons (409251) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Ivor Frank Wheatley (1389382) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
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, 166/38/604