| Accession Number | P02565.001 |
|---|---|
| Collection type | Photograph |
| Object type | Black & white - Film copy negative |
| Maker |
Unknown |
| Date made | c 1943 |
| Conflict |
Second World War, 1939-1945 |
| Copyright |
Item copyright: Copyright expired - public domain
|
Studio portrait of 15576 Pilot Officer (PO) Francis Howard (Frank) Russell, 20 Squadron, RAAF. PO ...
Description
Studio portrait of 15576 Pilot Officer (PO) Francis Howard (Frank) Russell, 20 Squadron, RAAF. PO Russell who diappeared whilst on operations in the South West Pacific area on 21 May 1944. He was stationed in Cairns and a crew member of Catalina A24/73 aircraft piloted by 391 Wing Commander H. G. Havyatt, Commanding Officer, at the time of his disappearance. Other crew were: Flying Officer (FO) H. B. Gill, FO J. A. G. Maslin, Flight Lieutenant F. W. Jeffrey, PO R. C. Phinsup, Sergeant (Sgt) H. W. Hall, Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) L. Dellitt, Sgt K. H. J. Clarke and Sgt J. D. Cowley. The crew were on a sea mining mission in the Java Sea and on 20 May 1944 a signal was received that the aircraft had been badly holed in both tanks and an attempt was to be made to get to a prearranged escape point. Although searches were carried out there were no sightings of the crew or plane.