SHEARD, Lauri Edwin

Plane was a Hudson A16-201 which was on a solo reconnaissance mission to shadow an enemy cruiser force north of Buna. The Hudson was attacked by 6 Japanese Zeros and the pilot P/0ff Warren Frank Cowan bravely engaged in a dogfight with each Zero. The Hudson was eventually shotdown. "Outgunned and Outclassed" dapted from an article by Michael John Claringbold Pilot Officer Warren Cowan, 31 years old from Angaston SA, was killed in action on 22 July 1942, along with his crew, Navigator, Pilot Officer David Taylor, 33, from Hobart Tasmania and gunners Sergeants Russell Polack, 24 of Summer Hill NSW and Laurie Sheard, 20, of Nuriootpa, SA. They were the crew of a Lockheed Hudson Mk IIIA, tail number A16-201 on a solo armed reconnaissance mission. They died in a forlorn and lonely air combat against six Mitsubishi Zeros over New Guinea's northern beaches near Buna, the site of Japanese amphibious landings that were a prelude to the Kokoda campaign. What distinguishes this action from many like it in the early stages of Australia's war in the SW Pacific, is that an accurate account of what happened came from the other side. They gave a distinguished account of themselves, so much so that 55 years after the incident, one of the Japanese pilots, none other than top Japanese 'Ace' of the war, Saburo Sakai, who was one of the pilots involved in the destruction of this aircraft, lobbied the Australian Government to present Cowan with a posthumous award for his actions that day. READ MORE in the VWMA link.

Last Name
SHEARD
Given Names
Lauri Edwin
Service Number
416369
Date of Birth
09/03/1922
Birth Location
Gawler S.A
Enlistment Date
24/05/1941
Enlistment Location
Adelaide
1Wags Start Date
24/07/1941
Course Details
WAGS Course 15
Intake Date
21/06/1941
Finish Date
02/05/1942
To
2 BAGS
Kill Date or Discharge Date
22/07/1942 (Killed)
Discharge Unit
12 R&SU
Rank
Sergeant
Operations
Flying battle Buna New Guinea
Date of Death
22/07/1942
Age
22
Cemetery / Memorial
Port Moresby Bomana War Cemetery
Notes

Plane was a Hudson A16-201 which was on a solo reconnaissance mission to shadow an enemy cruiser force north of Buna. The Hudson was attacked by 6 Japanese Zeros and the pilot P/0ff Warren Frank Cowan bravely engaged in a dogfight with each Zero. The Hudson was eventually shotdown. "Outgunned and Outclassed" dapted from an article by Michael John Claringbold Pilot Officer Warren Cowan, 31 years old from Angaston SA, was killed in action on 22 July 1942, along with his crew, Navigator, Pilot Officer David Taylor, 33, from Hobart Tasmania and gunners Sergeants Russell Polack, 24 of Summer Hill NSW and Laurie Sheard, 20, of Nuriootpa, SA. They were the crew of a Lockheed Hudson Mk IIIA, tail number A16-201 on a solo armed reconnaissance mission. They died in a forlorn and lonely air combat against six Mitsubishi Zeros over New Guinea's northern beaches near Buna, the site of Japanese amphibious landings that were a prelude to the Kokoda campaign. What distinguishes this action from many like it in the early stages of Australia's war in the SW Pacific, is that an accurate account of what happened came from the other side. They gave a distinguished account of themselves, so much so that 55 years after the incident, one of the Japanese pilots, none other than top Japanese 'Ace' of the war, Saburo Sakai, who was one of the pilots involved in the destruction of this aircraft, lobbied the Australian Government to present Cowan with a posthumous award for his actions that day. READ MORE in the VWMA link.

Posting on Death
12 R&SU Charters Towers
NAA Status
DIGITIZED
1 WAGS SHEARD Laurie Edwin 416369
1WAGS - SHEARD Lauri Edwin - Service Number 416369 (New_edited-1)

Acknowledgements

National Archives of Australia - 1 WAGS BallaratUBC Web Design - 1 WAGS BallaratCity of Ballarat - 1 WAGS BallaratAPCO Alfredton - 1 WAGS BallaratDepartment of Veterans Affairs - 1 WAGS BallaratAustralian War Memorial - 1 WAGS BallaratRSL Virtual War Memorial - 1 WAGS Ballarat