For Conspicuous Gallantry: The Story of Pilot Officer Frank Mathers CGM
As 6 September 1943 wore on, gloom and exhaustion settled on the men of No. 77 (Heavy Bomber) Squadron, RAF, as they realised one of the most decorated and popular crews in the squadron had not returned from the night’s raid on Mannheim. Flight Lieutenant J W Kenrick, OC B Flight, scrawled an ominous single word in the pilot’s logbook – “Missing”.

On this day

On this day
3 June

1942 — Battle of MIDWAY began. This decisive victory by the US Navy over the Japanese Navy shifted the balance of sea power in the Pacific and forced Japan to abandon plans to attack New Caledonia, Fiji and Samoa. Japanese losses were 4 aircraft carriers, 1 cruiser, 248 aircraft, and over 3,000 sailors.  American losses were 1 aircraft carrier, 1 destroyer, 150 aircraft, and 307 men

1944 — 78 Squadron, RAAF, carried out the last major air combat by the RAAF in WW2, off BIAK Island, New Guinea. 10 enemy planes were shot down for the loss of one Australian plane and pilot

1969 — HMAS MELBOURNE collided with USS FRANK E EVANS in the South China Sea.  EVANS was cut in half and 74 of her crew were killed