SYDNEY ROBERT LYNCH (Q114569)
DIED AT IRON RANGE ON 30 SEPTEMBER 1942

Bryan Lynch is trying to locate anyone who may remember an incident, possibly at Iron Range on 28 September 1942, near Portland Roads, Cape York Queensland. His father's brother, 33 year old Lance Corporal Sydney Robert Lynch (Q114569) of the A.C.M.F. 115 Reserve Motor Transport Company (115 Res. M.T. Coy.), Australian Army Service Corps, was seriously burnt, possibly at Iron Range on the 28 September 1942. He died in the 46th Engineers Hospital at Iron Range. 

Sydney Lynch lived at 38 Holland Street, Mackay before he joined the army. He had been a miner and a labourer before the war. He was born in Mount Morgan on 1 August 1909. He enlisted in the Army in Mackay, Queensland on 20 May 1941.

There are a lot of questions left unanswered about the incident that led to Sydney's death. He was buried by the 22nd Bombardment Group in the Iron Range War Cemetery in Grave A.A.1. Bryan is lead to believe that he was the first person buried at this cemetery. He was later buried at the Townsville War Cemetery (see below). He is listed on the Roll of Honour in Mackay.

It is interesting to note that another serviceman from the same unit as Sydney Lynch died about 2 weeks later on 14 October 1942. He is also buried in the Townsville War Cemetery. His details are as follows:-

Private John Twyford Casey (Q 111285),  A.C.M.F. 115 Res. M.T. Coy., Australian Army Service Corps

Bryan's Uncle, Sydney Robert Lynch had a daughter Jeanette who was born a few months after his death. His daughter has searched for the truth about her father's death for many years. The Australian Government has given her the run around and says that it has no records of the incident. There was an inquest into his death but they cannot locate a copy of it. Any help in this matter would be a godsend to his family.

Sydney's wife Alice Lynch, her daughter Jeanette Elphinstone and her grand-daughter Rowena Smallcombe are travelled to Iron Range, north Queensland for a special dedication ceremony for a new Iron Range Memorial Wall on Anzac Day 25 April 2005.

The following information on Sydney Lynch is from the Australian War Memorial home page:-

Lynch, S R
Number:  Q114569
Rank: Lance Corporal [L Cpl]
Unit: 115 RES MT COY AASC
Service:  Army
Date of Death:  30/09/1942
Place of Death:  Australia
Cause of Death:  Accidental
Memorial Panel:   82

Source:  AWM147 Roll of Honour cards, 1939-1945 War, 2nd AIF (Australian Imperial Force) and CMF (Commonwealth Military Force)

The following information is from the Commonwealth War Graves home page:-

In Memory of

SYDNEY ROBERT LYNCH

Lance Corporal
Q114569
A.C.M.F. 115 Res. M.T. Coy., Australian Army Service Corps
who died on Wednesday, 30th September 1942. Age 33.

Son of Dennis and Frances Miriam Lynch; husband of Alice Ada Lynch, of Mackay.

Cemetery: TOWNSVILLE WAR CEMETERY, Queensland, Australia
Grave Reference/Panel Number: B.C.7.

On the day that Sydney Robert Lynch died at Iron Range, 30 September 1942, a B-26 Marauder, aircraft #40-1433, "Kansas Comet", of 19th Squadron, 22nd Bombardment Group, crashed at Iron Range. 

Cyril "Cy" Kilmesh, ex member of the 22nd Bomb Group advised me that Sydney Lynch’s name appears on his "In Memoriam" page on his 22nd Bomb Group home page, because years ago someone had sent the following details to Cy:-

“Then there was Sydney Robert Lynch, who I think was killed in the same car crash as Primrose and Baish. A note has been  incorrectly tied to a minor, unrelated airplane crash the day after the car crash. Lynch also was RAAF, but I don't know whose co-pilot he was.” The two 2nd Squadron airmen, and apparently Lynch, were traveling in a command car between Charters Tower and Reid River when their vehicle over turned, crushing them. Mention of this accident in the 22nd history draft fails to mention Lynch.

As Sydney Lynch was not a co-pilot and not in the RAAF, the person described above is probably not likely to be Lynch. Does anyone know who the RAAF person was that was killed in this car crash? Or alternatively the information about the Australian person being a RAAF co-pilot could be incorrect and it was Lynch.

The following details on Primrose and Braish are from the burial register for the US Military cemetery in Townsville. The dates shown are the dates they were buried:-

Primrose, William E. Sgt - USA Reid River Motor Accident 2 Oct 42 Protestant
Baish, Henry G. - USA Reid River - 6 Oct 42 Protestant

Of note is the fact that they died a number of days apart. Could that be because they died of severe burns.

AMERICAN BATTLE MONUMENTS COMMISSION
THE WORLD WAR II HONOR ROLL

Henry G. Baish
Sergeant, U.S. Army Air Forces
Service # 13002672
2nd Bomber Squadron, 22nd Bomber Group, Medium
Entered the Service from: Pennsylvania
Died: 3-Oct-42
Buried at: Plot A Row 0 Grave 592
Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii

There is no entry for Primrose on the Battle Monuments Commission home page..

Can anyone please advise what the event
was that lead to Sydney Lynch's death?

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I'd like to thank Jeanette Elphinstone and Rowena Smallcombe for their assistance with this home page.

Can anyone help me with more information?

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 8 April 2005

This page last updated 01 March 2020