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Australia

Son of Sydney Bertram ABBOTT, 3 Orrong Crescent, Camberwell, Melbourne, Vic.

He enjoyed the sports of Football, Cricket, Swimming and was a member of the Essendon Swimming Club and the Melbourne Cricket Club.

Sydney graduated from College and joined the Air Force.  Whilst awaiting callup he worked under his father who was assistant manager Explosives Factory, Marybyrnong, Vic.

He embarked for Canada 30 December 1940 and later for England on 04 June 1941.

Abbott had just been transferred from No 88 Squadron in No. 2 Group, to No. 464 Squadron , a new R.A.A.F. Squadron to be equipped with Venturas.  He was on No. 4 Course at Bradfield park and sailed in the ‘Empress of Russia’ on 30 December 1940.  He left Montreal on the ‘Bayeno’, a banana boat owned by Elders and Fife of 6800 tons.  They were joined by other ships at Halifax and two days from Sydney, Canada, by a convoy from Bermuda making a total of 84 ships accompanied by 22 escourt ships including a battleship of the ‘Ramilles’ class.  They came straight across to Avonmouth and took 26 days to do it.  “We went all of the place” Abbott said.

After five days at Bournemouth he went to No. 13 O.T.U.  at Bicester.  He arrived there on July 5 and left on September 4.  On this course (No. 38) they were trained on Benheims and on the course were Squadron Leader R.W. Iredale, Pilot Officer Colin Head (now missing in the Middle East), Pilot Officer K. Keck (missing in the Middle East), Pilot Officer B.B. Barber (dead), Pilot Officer F.M. Grant (killed in a flying accident at Walton), Pilot Officer Doug Ritchie (missing over the North Sea), Pilot Officer Bruce Hislop (shot down by an ME109 a few days after joining No. 88 Squadron).  At the time Hislop was doing a Channel stop at Manston, Pilot Officer Randolph Fieldton, a Canadian who joined the R.A.A.F. (killed in an accident).

On September 11, 1941, the following Australians joined the squadron: Sergeant Pilot Abbott, and Sergeants Hislop, Ledbetter, and Bosworth, all from No. 13 O.T.U.  At the time No. 88 Squadron were operating Belnheims at Manston near Margate, Kent.  Early in October the squadron went back to Attlebridge, a satellite to Swanton Morley, Norfolk.  Here they made two convoy attacks and a circuit over the marshalling yards at Hazebruck.  On the first of these convoy attacks, Hislop was killed.  Sergeant Bosworth was posted the East while at Manston.  Only three Blenheims were on the Hazebruck show, two of which were Abbott and Ledbetter.  Pilot Officer W.A. Alley is now Abbott’s observer.

At Attlebridge the squadron split up, half training on Bostons and half remaining on Blenheims.  On a circus over Ostend, in a Blenheim Sergeant Ledbetter was shot up and flew back with a bullet in his ankle.  He was out for four months and is now back again with the squadron, being posted to No. 464 Squadron as a Pilot Officer with Abbott.  The squadron completed the conversion to Bostons and their first section as complete Boston squadron was against the Schanhorst and Gneisnau as these ships moved up the Channel.  They failed to locate the battleships.

DFC - 15/6/1943

Flying Officer Abbott has taken part in a large number of operational sorties including the combined operations at Dieppo and the low level daylight attack on Eindhoven.  On the latter occasion, one engine in his aircraft was damaged while crossing the enemy coastal defences prior to the attack.  Although this engine was almost useless, he continued to the target which was successfully bombed.  Although empolyed on operations for a long period, Flying Officer Abbott has retained his keenness and enthusiasm for his duties and has ivariably displayed high courage and devotion to duty.

Flying Officer Sydney Charles Bertram Abbott DFC 400404 RAAF was killed when Ventura AJ454 of 487 Squadron RAF / 13OTU crashed in Norfolk, England

Crew killed: Squadron Leader Edgar Alfred Costello-Bowen AFC 46332 RAF / Corporal Frank Richard Magson 1165126 RAF 

Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross

Sydney was 22 y.o., the son of Sydney Charles Bertram Abbott and Isabel Beryl Abbott of Balwyn, Victoria.

His brother, Deck Boy David ABBOTT (/explore/people/800355), aged 16, served in the Merchant Navy and was killed when the H.M.A.S. 'Centaur' was torpedoed on 14 May 1943. David is commemorated on Panel 9 at the Sydney Memorial, Rookwood, NSW. 

Sydney's name is located at panel 118 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra.

"DEATH OF D.F.C. FLIER IN CRASH

His parents have been notified that Flying Officer S. B. Abbott, D.F.C., was killed when his plane crashed at Larchwood, Norfolk, England, on August 9. The accident occurred when he was on a rest period after long bombing service. Flying Officer Abbott served in England for more than two years in a Ventura bomber squadron. He won the Distinguished Flying Cross in the Dieppe raid and in bombing Eindhoven after his engine cowling had been shot away 70 miles before he reached and bombed his target. He is a son of Mr and Mrs S. B. Abbott, of Orrong Crescent, Camberwell. Before enlistment in the RAAF he completed his diploma course at Dookie Agricultural College. A younger brother, David, serving in the Merchant Navy, was lost in the hospital ship Centaur, torpedoed off Brisbane. A second brother, John, is also serving at sea as third mate in a merchant ship. He was rescued when his ship was torpedoed in the Atlantic in April." - from the Melbourne Herald 19 Aug 1943 (nla.gov.au)