James Russell BURGESS

BURGESS, James Russell

Service Number: 422130
Enlisted: 25 April 1942
Last Rank: Flight Sergeant
Last Unit: Not yet discovered
Born: Bexley, New South Wales, Australia, 1 March 1923
Home Town: Rockdale, Rockdale, New South Wales
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Not yet discovered
Died: Flying Battle, Bulgaria, 29 June 1944, aged 21 years
Cemetery: Sofia War Cemetery, Sofia, Bulgaria
Grave 2. B. 10
Memorials: Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
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World War 2 Service

3 Sep 1939: Involvement Flight Sergeant, 422130
25 Apr 1942: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 422130

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Biography contributed by David Barlow

Wellington MF194 of 70SQN RAF was shot down over Bulgaria by a German fighter aircraft as it was returning from a successful bombing raid on the target of Navgarad in Romania - several other bomber aircraft from the mission were also shot down that night.

The all-Australian crew were on their 22nd mission together with the only survivor being Flying Officer Geoffrey Gordon Knyvett 425316 (Navigator) who became a Prisoner of War and was discharged from the RAAF in June 1945 following his liberation and repatriation to Australia

Killed were: Flight Sergeant James Russell Burgess 422130 (bomb aimer) / Flight Sergeant Raymond Edwin James 427508 (rear gunner) / Flight Sergeant Lloyd Fallon 417355 (Pilot) / Flight Sergeant Thomas Ronald Lowther 418752 (wireless operator)

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