Flight Sergeant Kenneth Thomas Frankish
- Rank
- Flight Sergeant
- Appointment
- Royal Australian Air Force 1944 NW Europe
- Service number
- 427818
- Unit
- 460 Squadron Royal Australian Air Force
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action
- Place of death
- England
- Date of death
- 23 October 1944
- Age
- 20
- Plaque number
- L108
- Co-located plaques
- L108A - FSGT Robert Frankish
- Dedicated by
- His parents on 5 December 1948
- More information
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Thomas Frankish 427818 (1924-1944, born Perth, Western Australia) enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) at Perth on 6 October 1942 and was trained as a Navigator at Mount Gambier, South Australia. He was sent to the United Kingdom under the Air Training Plan (ATP, known as the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) in Australia) and served with No. 460 Squadron RAAF (an ATP Article XV Squadron) in Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command. On return from a mission to bomb Essen, Germany, on 23 October 1944, Lancaster aircraft PB351, which had been extensively damaged in combat, crashed at approximately 2000 hours near Bircham Newton, North Wootton, Norfolk, about 4 miles North of Kings Lynn, killing six of its seven crew members – five RAAF members, Flight Sergeant Frankish, Flight Sergeant Rupert William Bergelin 428900 of Bondi, New South Wales, Pilot Officer Denis Richard Garth Richins 422298 of Tamworth, New South Wales, Flight Sergeant Wren Stobo 421764 of Sydney, New South Wales, and Warrant Officer John Richings Treloar 421524 of Tamworth, and one RAF crew member, Sergeant Eric Arthur Sunderland 1593402 of Shipley, West Yorkshire, England, while one RAAF member, Flight Sergeant John George Cannon 431006 born Melbourne, Victoria, survived.
Flight Sergeant Frankish’s official memorial is his grave in the Cambridge City Cemetery, England, where his headstone is inscribed with “Farewell ‘Ken’ a good innings, well played”. His Roll of Honour is Mount Lawley, Western Australia.
His honour plaque in Kings Park was dedicated by his parents on 5 December 1948. He is the son of Richard Wetherall Frankish (1895-1966) and Sylvia Amy Frankish (nee Kendrick) (1899-1964) of Mount Lawley, Western Australia. He is the half-brother of Robert Walter Weatherall Frankish (killed in an aircraft accident).
Flight Sergeant Frankish is remembered with honour.
Note: The place of death shown on the Honour Plaque is incorrect and should read “England”.