LEST WE FORGET
Squadron Leader Kevin Harrold WALSH
From Australia serving in the Royal Air Force
Service No: 40064 (RAF)
Born: Mount Pleasant SA, 20 July 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 15 July 1936 (at RAAF Station Point Cook VIC)
Enlisted in the RAF: Date unavailable
Unit: No. 139 Squadron (RAF), Detachment RAF Station Manston, Kent
Died: Air Operations: (No. 139 Squadron Blenheim IV aircraft Z7274), off Blankenberge, Belgium, 2 September 1941, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Wenduine Communal Cemetery, De Haan, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: No further information
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Supplementary Panel 12, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Squadron Leader Walsh was an Australian Cadet trained for the RAF who embarked for the UK on 22 July 1937.
Blenheim Z7274 took off from Manston at 1023 hours to attack shipping on a day mission off the coast of Belgium. Walsh’s aircraft was the first of three aircraft to attack. It was hit by flak and was seen to catch fire and dive into the sea 100 metres seaward of the target. Nothing further was seen of the aircraft or crew.
The crew members of Z7274 were:
Sergeant George Henry Brook (1017894) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Alfred George Hole (560790) (RAF) (Observer)
Squadron Leader Kevin Harrold Walsh (40064) (RAF) (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
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/63/89
Newton, Dennis A Few of the Few: Australians and the Battle of Britain, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT 2600, 1990