FRITH, Ernest Francis Hamilton
| Service Number: | 403653 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 3 February 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Pilot Officer |
| Last Unit: | No. 10 Squadron (RAAF) |
| Born: | Boolaroo, New South Wales, 20 July 1910 |
| Home Town: | Boolaroo, Lake Macquarie Shire, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Solicitor |
| Died: | Flying Battle, died at sea, Galician coast, Off Spain, 31 July 1942, aged 32 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, Runnymede Air Forces Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Pilot Officer, 403653, No. 10 Squadron (RAAF) | |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Feb 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, 403653 |
Help us honour Ernest Francis Hamilton Frith's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Julianne Ryan
Born 20 July 1910 at Boolaroo, New South Wales.
Father Thomas Charles Frith and Mother Maria Louisa Frith,
living at Boolaroo, New South Wales.
Brother:
404821 Flying Officer Robert Hamilton Frith (b. 20.12.1912)
203 Squadron RAF
20/6/1942 Accidental death in Middle East
buried in: Ismailia War Memorial Cemetery, Ismailia, Suez Canal, Egypt
3/2/1941 enlisted in Sydney, NSW
Pilot Officer with 10th Squadron (UK) RAAF
*** service records need to be ordered through National Archives of Australia ***
31/7/1942 killed in flying battle
On 31 July 1942 disappeared in the Galician coast Sunderland W3994, had departed from Mount Batten at 02:15 in antisubmarine patrol and did not turn to hear the device. The aircraft took the maximum load of anti-submarine bombs and was to carry out a patrol along the Spanish coast just outside territorial waters. No signals were received from the aircraft which failed to return from the mission.
The entire crew disappeared:-
Short Sunderland Mk II; W3994, RB-X; 10 Sqn RAAF
F/Lt Eric Bruce Martin - 280651 - RAAF
F/O Arthur Francis O'Dwyer - 405185 - RAAF
P/O Ernest F. Hamilton Frith - 403653 - RAAF
F/O Arthur Reginald Meaker - 416275 - RAAF
F/O Christopher E. Thomas Bartram - 401759 - RAAF
Sgt David Bell -. 406430 - RAAF
Sgt John Russell Mullins -. 4701 - RAAF
AC1 Nevil Thomas Cuddihy - 14521 - RAAF
Sgt Clive Thomas Bingham -. 4559 - RAAF
AC1 Garnet William White - 13891 - RAAF
Sgt Herbert Henry Fealy. - 11069 - RAAF
LAC. Charles L. Kenneth Johnson - 34754 - RAAF
"Sunderland III, W3999 of No 10 (RAAF) Squadron exploded after making a successful forced landing on the sea after being attacked by an Arado Ar 196 during an ASR patrol." courtesy of Malcolm
No known grave.
Commemorated on Panel 111 at Air Forces Memorial, Runnymede, Surrey, England.
His name is commemorated on Panel 99 at the Australian War Memorial,
Canberra, ACT.
Sourced and submitted by Julianne T Ryan. 13/6/2016. Lest we forget.