BIRRELL, Wilson John
| Service Number: | 41755 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 9 July 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Leading Aircraftman |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | North Geelong, Victoria, Australia, 22 February 1923 |
| Home Town: | Geelong, Greater Geelong, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Drowning, Coolangatta, Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia, 15 December 1945, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
Lutwyche Cemetery, Brisbane, Qld ANZ 7 73 25, |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement 41755 | |
|---|---|---|
| 9 Jul 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Leading Aircraftman, 41755 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Faithe Jones
Son of Wilson and Edith Birrell, of East Geelong, Victoria.
AIRMAN
DROWNED AT
RAINBOW BAY
L.A.C. .Wilson John Birrell, RAAF (22), lost his - life at Rainbow Bay, Coolangatta, on Saturday afternoon whilst surfing with two friends who had arrived with him from Sandgate that morning. Shortly after lunch the three young men, who had booked into the Soldiers' House at Rainbow Bay, entered the surf. Some time later Birrell was missed by his mates. His body was subsequently found in a channel, about 6ft. deep, a considerable distance along the beach towards Greenmount. It was evident that Birrell, who was said not to be able to swim, had been caught in the channel and swept along. Oxygen was administered, and a doctor, lifesavers and ambullance officers worked on the body for one and a half hours with out success. Birrell was stated to have been a native of Geelong, Victoria.
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