LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Douglas Arthur WHITEHURST
Service No: 421779
Born: Ashfield NSW, 7 August 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 March 1942
Unit: No. 3 Refresher Flying Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 3 Flying Refresher Unit Harvard aircraft FE718), India, 16 May 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Kirkee War Cemetery, India
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur Stephen and Agnes Stella Whitehurst, of Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: John’s Cenotaph, Ashfield NSW
Near Poona on 16 May 1944, Harvard FE718 was authorised to carry out instrument flying at 3,000 feet. The aircraft took off at 1035 hours, and as it had not returned by 1200 hours, overdue action was taken. Eye witnesses stated that the aircraft was flying very low and hit a tree, struck a bank and turned over and both the crew members were killed.
The crew members of Harvard FE718 were:
Flight Sergeant Douglas Arthur Whitehurst (421779) (Pilot)
Sergeant Phillip Anthony Wilde (1580604) (RAFVR) (Second 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, 166/43/673
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line