| Places | |
|---|---|
| Accession Number | P11152.008 |
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Print silver gelatin |
| Maker |
RAAF Photographer |
| Place made | Australia |
| Date made | c 1942 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Service file portrait of 418154 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Frank Grahame McDonald, 23 Squadron ...
Description
Service file portrait of 418154 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) Frank Grahame McDonald, 23 Squadron RAAF. Flt Sgt McDonald, from Hawthorn, Vic, enlisted on 25 April 1942. In February 1944 his Vultee Vengeance dive bomber was shot down near Alexishafen, New Guinea and and he was captured by the Japanese and executed on or about 31 March 1944. One of a series of images used by Allied prosecutors during the war crimes trials of Japanese charged with the murder of Australian pilots. The prints were produced in some numbers and used by investigative units in in South East Asia trying to locate the graves of missing RAAF pilots and aircrew. Initially showed to local natives and to Japanese prisoners of war, some were later produced in court as evidence during the trials of Japanese POW charged with the men's murder.