RANKIN, Neil James
| Service Number: | 409943 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 7 November 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Flying Officer |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Colac, Victoria, Australia, 27 June 1923 |
| Home Town: | St Kilda, Port Phillip, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Cororooke State School & Colac High School, Victoria, Australia |
| Occupation: | Clerk, State Electricity Commission, Victoria, Australia |
| Died: | Flying Battle, Germany, 30 March 1945, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany Plot 9. Row A. Grave 13 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Flying Officer, 409943 | |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Nov 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 409943 |
Help us honour Neil James Rankin's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by David Barlow
Flying Officer Neil James Rankin 409943 of 80 Squadron RAF was killed when Hawker Tempest NV766 was shot down near St Hulfe, Germany
Biography contributed by Ian Fox
Neil enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 7 November 1941. After completing basic training, he was sent to Canada under the Empire Training Scheme to obtain his 'wings'. He then went to England and was posted to a Spitfire Squadron.
Neil served with distinction before being involved in air sorties over Germany with No 80 Tempest Squadron during the last weeks of the war. Flying Officer Rankin lost his life at Diepholz in the Munster area of Germany on the 30 March 1945 at the age of 21.
He is buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, 85 kilometres north of Cologne.
[Source: Colac Family History Project/WW2 Honour Roll]
Click images to start slideshow.