Service No: 420250
Born: Randwick NSW, 20 July 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941
Unit: No. 467 Squadron, RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 467 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED539), Germany
Buried: Not recovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Francis and Mary Julia O'Brien; husband of Norma Ellen O'Brien, of Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 258, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 111, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster ED539 took off from RAF Waddington at 1740 hours on the night of 27/28th January 1944 to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Post war it was established that the aircraft crashed on a house in Wendenschloss Strasse, Kopenwick. Kopenwick is a suburb of Berlin about 8 kms south east of the city centre.
All the crew members were killed
The crew members of ED539 were:
Sergeant Harold Boardley (1549458) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Douglas James Coombe (1582983) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Francis Herbert Doncaster (1013809) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph James Melling (1017778) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Cecil O'Brien (420250) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant William John Simpson (421693) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Gerald Henry Sudds (136393) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Born: Randwick NSW, 20 July 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941
Unit: No. 467 Squadron, RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 467 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED539), Germany
Buried: Not recovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Francis and Mary Julia O'Brien; husband of Norma Ellen O'Brien, of Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 258, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 111, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster ED539 took off from RAF Waddington at 1740 hours on the night of 27/28th January 1944 to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Post war it was established that the aircraft crashed on a house in Wendenschloss Strasse, Kopenwick. Kopenwick is a suburb of Berlin about 8 kms south east of the city centre.
All the crew members were killed
The crew members of ED539 were:
Sergeant Harold Boardley (1549458) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Douglas James Coombe (1582983) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Francis Herbert Doncaster (1013809) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph James Melling (1017778) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Cecil O'Brien (420250) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant William John Simpson (421693) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Gerald Henry Sudds (136393) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Service No: 420250
Born: Randwick NSW, 20 July 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941
Unit: No. 467 Squadron, RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 467 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED539), Germany
Buried: Not recovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Francis and Mary Julia O'Brien; husband of Norma Ellen O'Brien, of Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 258, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 111, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster ED539 took off from RAF Waddington at 1740 hours on the night of 27/28th January 1944 to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Post war it was established that the aircraft crashed on a house in Wendenschloss Strasse, Kopenwick. Kopenwick is a suburb of Berlin about 8 kms south east of the city centre.
All the crew members were killed
The crew members of ED539 were:
Sergeant Harold Boardley (1549458) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Douglas James Coombe (1582983) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Francis Herbert Doncaster (1013809) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph James Melling (1017778) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Cecil O'Brien (420250) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant William John Simpson (421693) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Gerald Henry Sudds (136393) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Born: Randwick NSW, 20 July 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941
Unit: No. 467 Squadron, RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 467 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED539), Germany
Buried: Not recovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Francis and Mary Julia O'Brien; husband of Norma Ellen O'Brien, of Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 258, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 111, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster ED539 took off from RAF Waddington at 1740 hours on the night of 27/28th January 1944 to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Post war it was established that the aircraft crashed on a house in Wendenschloss Strasse, Kopenwick. Kopenwick is a suburb of Berlin about 8 kms south east of the city centre.
All the crew members were killed
The crew members of ED539 were:
Sergeant Harold Boardley (1549458) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Douglas James Coombe (1582983) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Francis Herbert Doncaster (1013809) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph James Melling (1017778) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Cecil O'Brien (420250) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant William John Simpson (421693) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Gerald Henry Sudds (136393) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Inscription
Royal Australian Air Force
Gravesite Details
420250
Family Members
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