LEST WE FORGET

Flying Officer William Clarke TUFNELL

Service No: 415700
Born: Katanning WA, 1 May 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 December 1941
Unit: No. 82 Squadron (RAF), Kolar, India
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 82 Squadron Mosquito aircraft HP886), Mysor, India, 13 September 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Madras War Cemetery, Chennai, India
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Harold and Ellenor Mary Tufnell, of Tenterden, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Remembered: Honour Avenues, Kings Park WA

Mosquito HP886 was detailed on 13th September 1944 to carry out practicing attacks on another aircraft at a height of 5,000 feet. After one attack HP 886 disappeared under the target aircraft, possibly being thrown upside down by the slipstream. There was no evidence as to what happened after that. HP 886 crashed at 13.38N 78.06E in the province of Mysor and the both crew members were killed.

The crew members of HP886 were:

Pilot Officer Victor Abel (422089) (Navigator)
Flying Officer William Clarke Tufnell (415700) (Pilot)

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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/40/254

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