78 Squadron Breighton

[Hawknut]

Thanks everyone for your suggestions. As we dipped out on the original enquiry we are now not sure of the date of Alan Short's death, so we are having to start again. Appreciate all of your efforts.

[sharki]

I can find only one Alan Short in the "Bomber Command Roll of Honour" by W.R.Chorley.
Sergeant Alan Douglas Short of 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit, died 22nd April, 1944. He was however, RAF, not RAAF.

[Hawknut]

Thank you for this - it gives us a new starting point. It's the first time we have had an actual 'Alan' Short. He was in the RAF, not the RAAF, so it could be him.

[sharki]

Sgt. Alan Douglas Short was the rear gunner on Short Stirling EH926 "T" of 1654 Heavy Conversion Unit which ,whilst preparing to land at Wigsley after a night navigation sortie, collided with another Stirling. Both aircraft crashed near Eagle, seven miles SW of Lincoln centre. There were no survivors from either aircraft.
Sgt. Short is listed as being buried at Sunderland (Bishopwearmouth) Cemetery.
(Info from W.R.Chorley's books and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.
I know that you have decided to discount A.R. Short, lost on 31/8/43 because of the discrepancy over the first name (Albert), but we cannot ignore the fact that CWGC may have made an error over the name. This is not unknown, however it is uncommon.

[Hawknut]

Thanks to everyone who answered my post. We have been barking up completely the wrong tree with Alan Short. We found him, and although he was known in the family as Alan, he was actually Maxwell and he served in the middle east with 454 squadron. He died 1st June 1944. So thanks for all your suggestions and now we can get on with our lives!