LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Alan Maxwell WHITE
Service No: 573
Born: Parkes NSW, 9 March 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 4 September 1939 (at RAAF Station Point Cook VIC)
Unit: No. 21 Squadron, Sungai Patani, Malaya
Died: Air Operations (No. 21 Squadron Buffalo aircraft AN201), Alor Star Road, Malaya, 14 December 1941, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Edward and Marcella Augusta White, of North Adelaide, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Column 411, Singapore Memorial, Singapore
Remembered: Panel 101, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Remembered: The Capt. Clarence Smith Jeffries (V.C.) and Private William Matthew Currey (V.C.) Memorial Wall, Sandgate NSW
Next day four Buffaloes of No. 453 Squadron led by one from No. 21 Squadron, flown by Flight Lieutenant White (573), attacked Japanese transport columns moving down the roads from the north. Three enemy dive bombers intercepted and White, who was last seen attacking one of them from the rear, is believed to have been killed by the enemy rear-gunner’s fire. Another of the Buffalo pilots, Sergeant Oelrich (402875), was heavily attacked before he could gain height and was killed when his aircraft was shot down. Sergeant Seagoe (1) had one shoulder shattered by an explosive bullet fired from the ground, but with the other two surviving pilots succeeded in returning to Ipoh from their costly operation.
(1) Sergeant (later Flight Lieutenant) Geoffrey Ernest Goldfinch Seagoe (402883) was discharged from the RAAF on 25 September 1945.
Extract from Gillison, D.N. (Douglas Napier) (254475) Royal Australian Air Force 1939-1942, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1962 – Page 257
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
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, 163/63/114
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line