LEST WE FORGET

Sergeant Arthur William TORRENS

Service No: 413287
Born: Billinudgel NSW, 26 February 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 August 1941
Unit: No. 111 Operational Training Unit (RAF), Nassau, Bahamas
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 111 Operational Training Unit Mitchell aircraft CFR382), off then Bahamas, 28 June 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas B. Torrens and Esther Georgina Torrens, of Ballina, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Ballina NSW
Remembered: Panel 3, Column 1, Ottawa Memorial, Ontario
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW

Mitchell CFR382 took off at 1445 hours on 28 June 1943, to carry out an operational air exercise at sea in the vicinity of Nassau, Bahamas. Wireless communication ceased at 1515 hours and the aircraft failed to return to base from the exercise. In later searches an empty dinghy and an oleo leg from the aircraft were recovered from the sea in position 25.09N, 77.53W, but no trace of any survivors was found. It was later recorded that the missing crew had lost their lives at sea.

The crew members of CFR382 were:

Sergeant Arthur Joseph Beaulieu (R/157081) (RCAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner under conversion)
Sergeant James Brian Keayes (421283) (Navigator under conversion)
Sergeant Carl Eric Ogren (R/166219) (RCAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner under conversion)
Sergeant Charles Leslie Herbert Snart (522206) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner under conversion)
Pilot Officer William Lorne Stinson (J/23811) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Arthur William Torrens (413287) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Thomas Wallace (R/168519) (RCAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner under conversion)

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, 166/40/56
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line

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