Coming Soon.
GILLAN, Frank Bruce
Personal Details
| Service Number: | 409042 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 21 June 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Flight Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | No. 12 Squadron (RAF) |
| Born: | Yea, Victoria, AUSTRALIA, 17 March 1914 |
| Home Town: | Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Farmer |
| Died: | Flying Battle, Netherlands, 1 May 1943, aged 29 years |
| Cemetery: |
Winterswijk Cemetery, Gelderland, Netherlands 20, Winterswijk Cemetery, Winterswijk, Gelderland, Netherlands |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial, Yea War Memorial |
Service History
World War 2 Service
| 21 Jun 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 409042 | |
|---|---|---|
| 11 Oct 1941: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Leading Aircraftman | |
| 30 Apr 1942: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant | |
| 2 Jul 1942: | Embarked Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant, Embarked for UK from Sydney | |
| 30 Oct 1942: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, No. 12 Squadron (RAF) | |
| 1 May 1943: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 409042, Killed in Action on this day. His service and sacrifice honured and remembered. |
Personal Stories
Help us honour Frank Bruce Gillan's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Gerald Tebes
The Avro Lancaster MkI, W4925, took off from RAF Wickenby at 00:25The target that night was to bomb the factories in Essen, Germany.
Around 02:30, they were intercepted by Captain Wilhelm Dormann in his Messerschmitt Bf 110 G-4, of the 9th/NJG1, from Twente Air Base in the Netherlands. At 02:36, the Avro Lancaster crashed near Aalten, in the municipality of Winterswijk.
All eight crew members were killed. Seven of them are buried in Winterswijk. The eighth, Sheldon, was never recovered, perhaps due to the force of the explosion during the crash.
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