LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Donald Foster WALKER

Service No: 409259
Born: Wonthaggi VIC, 2 February 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 July 1941
Unit: No. 235 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Leuchars
Died: Air Operations: (No. 235 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft JL818), North Sea, 8 April 1943, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Percy and Rosina Walker; husband of Gladys Margaret Walker, of East Malvern, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Cheltenham VIC
Remembered: Panel 194, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

At 1100 hours on 8 April 1943 Beaufighter JL818 in company with one other aircraft took off from Leuchars to carry out a day reconnaissance of the Norwegian coast. The two aircraft parted company on diverting tracks soon after take off, and nothing was seen or heard from JL818 and it failed to return to base. The other aircraft completed its reconnaissance and landed. In 1949 it was recorded that the missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.

The crew members of JL818 were:

Flying Officer Ronald Frederick Downes (130311) (RAFVR) (Navigator Wireless)
Flight Sergeant Donald Foster Walker (409259) (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 A705, 166/43/137

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