LEST WE FORGET

Flight Lieutenant Dennis John UNKLES

Service No: 408766
Born: Sale VIC, 23 November 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 May 1941
Unit: No. 4 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 4 Squadron Wirraway aircraft A20-480), Wantoat area PNG, 15 April 1944, Aged 28 years
Buried: Lae War Cemetery PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Charles and Katherine Unkles; husband of Sheila Florence Unkles, of Sale, Victoria
Roll of Honour: Sale VIC
Remembered: Panel 98, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

At 0755 hours on 15 April 1944, Flight Lieutenant Unkles and Lieutenant Fetherstonhaugh took off from Gusap Strip on an operational tactical reconnaissance flight over the Wantoat area, New Guinea. The aircraft failed to return and the crew was reported missing.

In December 1998 the aircraft was discovered and a team of RAAF members travelled to the site of the crash. After talking with local villagers it was found that one villager who had trekked to the site with other villagers and discovered the aircraft and the dead crew. The crew was then buried next to the aircraft on the hill where it crashed. After interviewing some of the villagers it was found that the pilot reportedly crashed while being chased by a Japanese A6M ‘Zero’. The crew were buried with full honours on 13 January 1999.

The crew members of A20-480 were:

Lieutenant John Rawden Fetherston-Haugh MID (VX20171) (Supernumerary) (45th Air Liaison Unit)
Flight Lieutenant Dennis John Unkles (408766) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9300, UNKLES D J; A9845, 195

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