| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | P07985.001 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1941 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 402359 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Donald Atherton Irving, RAAF, a pilot ...
Description
Studio portrait of 402359 Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Donald Atherton Irving, RAAF, a pilot attached to No. 77 Squadron RAF. A sugar chemist of Brisbane, Qld, Irving enlisted on 19 August 1940. While serving with the RAF in the United Kingdom, Flt Lt Irving took part in eighteen operational flights over Europe. Following an operation against German cruisers at Wilhelmshaven on the night of 27 February 1942, Flt Lt Irving and his crew were reported missing. An investigation by the Air Ministry found that the aircraft, Whitley Z.694328, piloted by Flt Lt Irving, was reported to have been hit by anti-aircraft fire near Wilhelmshaven. No trace of the aircraft or crew were found. Flt Lt Irving was officially listed as presumed dead on 27 February 1942, aged 26, and his name is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom.