Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

10 Operational Training Unit

Rank - Flight Sergeant

Plane was Whitley BB 414

Son of John Edward and Minnie Bavin, of Mount Barker, Western Australia.

The Late FIt/Sgt. Bavin
The following communication has just been received by Mr. and Mrs. J. Bavin in connection with the loss of their son, Doug, during an operational sweep over the Atlantic—
"Dear Sir,
It is with deep regret that I have to inform you that the death of your son, Flight Sgt Douglas Frederick Bavin, has now been presumed for official purposes to hare occured on 3rd June, 1943. It has  now been advised that your late son was promoted to Flight Sgt with effect from 25th March, 1943. 
The Minister for Air and members of the Air Board, desire me to extend to you their profound sympathy in your great loss.
(Signed)
Yours faithfully,
—Secretary"
Two unhappy coincidences are connected with loss of Flight Sgt Bavin, the first being that his schoolmate at Group 93, Denmark, Ted Laing— later also a Sgt Pilot—was also lost with his plane without  trace, on a bombing run to Germany. Flight Sgt Bavin disappeared—again coincidentally—on the day that the noted film star Leslie Howard, met his fate at the hands of German airmen The Wing  Commander in charge of the operational base from which Doug and his Whitley bomber took off on their last flight has written eulogisticaley of the young pilots' service, and added that, whatever happened to the bomber ami its crew must have been sudden, because no distress signal had come from them. He concluded by sending Doug's parents the sincere sympathy of all ranks under his  command ; and to that, we now add our own.