Service No:--- 404786
Born:--- Brisbane QLD, 4 May 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: ---8 November 1940
Unit:--- No. 207 Squadron (RAF), RAF Bottesford, Lincolnshire
Died: ---Air Operations: (No. 207 Squadron Manchester aircraft L7322), France, 9 January 1942,
Buried: ---No known grave, Known unto God.
Parents: - Edward William and Miriam Toohill, of Tennyson, Queensland, Australia.
Remembered:--- Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lanchester L 7322 of 207 Squadron took off from RAF Station Bottesford at 0359 hours on 9 January 1942, in company with other aircraft to attack the major German warships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in port at Brest, France. Other aircraft on the mission reported that the weather and visibility en route was poor, and over the target there was 8-10/10ths cloud and a half moon. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Post war enquiries and investigations established that L7322 crashed in the sea near Crozon (Finistere), France, at approximately 0600 hours on 9 January 1942. There were no survivors.
The crew members of L7322 were:
Pilot Officer George Reginald Bayley (88024) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Peter Charles Herbert Goldie (406450) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Richard Vivian Griffiths (1180380) (RAFVR) (Second Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Alexander Gordon Harris (920869) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant John Elias Jones DFM (551817) (RAF) (First Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Rex Seymour (407808) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Noel Messines Toohill (404786) (Second Pilot)
**********************************************************************************
Cover Photo--Informal outdoor portrait of 404786 Sergeant (Sgt) Noel Messines Toohill. Sgt Toohill enlisted in November 1940 and trained initially in Australia and later Canada as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS). In August 1941 he was transferred to 207 Squadron RAF. On 9 January 1942, Sgt Toohill and fellow crew of Manchester Bomber call sign EM-Q serial number L7322 were involved in an attack on the Scharnhorst and Gneissnau at Brest. The bomber left RAF Station Bottesford, Nottingham at 0359 hours and never returned to base. Later investigations revealed that the aircraft crashed with no survivors in the sea near Crozon, France. The bodies of two of the crew, Pilot Officer (PO) G R Bayley (RAF) and 407808 Sgt William Rex Seymour (RAAF), were later recovered and interred in the Crozon Cemetery, France. The remainder of the crew were never found and were recorded as having lost their lives at sea. The names of Sgt Toohill, Sgt A G Harris (RAF), Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) J E Jones DFM (RAF), Flt Sgt R V Griffiths (RAF) and 406450 Sgt Peter Charles-Herbert Goldie are all recorded on the Memorial to the Missing in Runnymede, England.
Born:--- Brisbane QLD, 4 May 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: ---8 November 1940
Unit:--- No. 207 Squadron (RAF), RAF Bottesford, Lincolnshire
Died: ---Air Operations: (No. 207 Squadron Manchester aircraft L7322), France, 9 January 1942,
Buried: ---No known grave, Known unto God.
Parents: - Edward William and Miriam Toohill, of Tennyson, Queensland, Australia.
Remembered:--- Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lanchester L 7322 of 207 Squadron took off from RAF Station Bottesford at 0359 hours on 9 January 1942, in company with other aircraft to attack the major German warships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in port at Brest, France. Other aircraft on the mission reported that the weather and visibility en route was poor, and over the target there was 8-10/10ths cloud and a half moon. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Post war enquiries and investigations established that L7322 crashed in the sea near Crozon (Finistere), France, at approximately 0600 hours on 9 January 1942. There were no survivors.
The crew members of L7322 were:
Pilot Officer George Reginald Bayley (88024) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Peter Charles Herbert Goldie (406450) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Richard Vivian Griffiths (1180380) (RAFVR) (Second Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Alexander Gordon Harris (920869) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant John Elias Jones DFM (551817) (RAF) (First Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Rex Seymour (407808) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Noel Messines Toohill (404786) (Second Pilot)
**********************************************************************************
Cover Photo--Informal outdoor portrait of 404786 Sergeant (Sgt) Noel Messines Toohill. Sgt Toohill enlisted in November 1940 and trained initially in Australia and later Canada as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS). In August 1941 he was transferred to 207 Squadron RAF. On 9 January 1942, Sgt Toohill and fellow crew of Manchester Bomber call sign EM-Q serial number L7322 were involved in an attack on the Scharnhorst and Gneissnau at Brest. The bomber left RAF Station Bottesford, Nottingham at 0359 hours and never returned to base. Later investigations revealed that the aircraft crashed with no survivors in the sea near Crozon, France. The bodies of two of the crew, Pilot Officer (PO) G R Bayley (RAF) and 407808 Sgt William Rex Seymour (RAAF), were later recovered and interred in the Crozon Cemetery, France. The remainder of the crew were never found and were recorded as having lost their lives at sea. The names of Sgt Toohill, Sgt A G Harris (RAF), Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) J E Jones DFM (RAF), Flt Sgt R V Griffiths (RAF) and 406450 Sgt Peter Charles-Herbert Goldie are all recorded on the Memorial to the Missing in Runnymede, England.
Service No:--- 404786
Born:--- Brisbane QLD, 4 May 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: ---8 November 1940
Unit:--- No. 207 Squadron (RAF), RAF Bottesford, Lincolnshire
Died: ---Air Operations: (No. 207 Squadron Manchester aircraft L7322), France, 9 January 1942,
Buried: ---No known grave, Known unto God.
Parents: - Edward William and Miriam Toohill, of Tennyson, Queensland, Australia.
Remembered:--- Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lanchester L 7322 of 207 Squadron took off from RAF Station Bottesford at 0359 hours on 9 January 1942, in company with other aircraft to attack the major German warships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in port at Brest, France. Other aircraft on the mission reported that the weather and visibility en route was poor, and over the target there was 8-10/10ths cloud and a half moon. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Post war enquiries and investigations established that L7322 crashed in the sea near Crozon (Finistere), France, at approximately 0600 hours on 9 January 1942. There were no survivors.
The crew members of L7322 were:
Pilot Officer George Reginald Bayley (88024) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Peter Charles Herbert Goldie (406450) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Richard Vivian Griffiths (1180380) (RAFVR) (Second Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Alexander Gordon Harris (920869) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant John Elias Jones DFM (551817) (RAF) (First Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Rex Seymour (407808) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Noel Messines Toohill (404786) (Second Pilot)
**********************************************************************************
Cover Photo--Informal outdoor portrait of 404786 Sergeant (Sgt) Noel Messines Toohill. Sgt Toohill enlisted in November 1940 and trained initially in Australia and later Canada as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS). In August 1941 he was transferred to 207 Squadron RAF. On 9 January 1942, Sgt Toohill and fellow crew of Manchester Bomber call sign EM-Q serial number L7322 were involved in an attack on the Scharnhorst and Gneissnau at Brest. The bomber left RAF Station Bottesford, Nottingham at 0359 hours and never returned to base. Later investigations revealed that the aircraft crashed with no survivors in the sea near Crozon, France. The bodies of two of the crew, Pilot Officer (PO) G R Bayley (RAF) and 407808 Sgt William Rex Seymour (RAAF), were later recovered and interred in the Crozon Cemetery, France. The remainder of the crew were never found and were recorded as having lost their lives at sea. The names of Sgt Toohill, Sgt A G Harris (RAF), Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) J E Jones DFM (RAF), Flt Sgt R V Griffiths (RAF) and 406450 Sgt Peter Charles-Herbert Goldie are all recorded on the Memorial to the Missing in Runnymede, England.
Born:--- Brisbane QLD, 4 May 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: ---8 November 1940
Unit:--- No. 207 Squadron (RAF), RAF Bottesford, Lincolnshire
Died: ---Air Operations: (No. 207 Squadron Manchester aircraft L7322), France, 9 January 1942,
Buried: ---No known grave, Known unto God.
Parents: - Edward William and Miriam Toohill, of Tennyson, Queensland, Australia.
Remembered:--- Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lanchester L 7322 of 207 Squadron took off from RAF Station Bottesford at 0359 hours on 9 January 1942, in company with other aircraft to attack the major German warships Scharnhorst and Gneisenau in port at Brest, France. Other aircraft on the mission reported that the weather and visibility en route was poor, and over the target there was 8-10/10ths cloud and a half moon. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Post war enquiries and investigations established that L7322 crashed in the sea near Crozon (Finistere), France, at approximately 0600 hours on 9 January 1942. There were no survivors.
The crew members of L7322 were:
Pilot Officer George Reginald Bayley (88024) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Peter Charles Herbert Goldie (406450) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Richard Vivian Griffiths (1180380) (RAFVR) (Second Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Alexander Gordon Harris (920869) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant John Elias Jones DFM (551817) (RAF) (First Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Rex Seymour (407808) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Noel Messines Toohill (404786) (Second Pilot)
**********************************************************************************
Cover Photo--Informal outdoor portrait of 404786 Sergeant (Sgt) Noel Messines Toohill. Sgt Toohill enlisted in November 1940 and trained initially in Australia and later Canada as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS). In August 1941 he was transferred to 207 Squadron RAF. On 9 January 1942, Sgt Toohill and fellow crew of Manchester Bomber call sign EM-Q serial number L7322 were involved in an attack on the Scharnhorst and Gneissnau at Brest. The bomber left RAF Station Bottesford, Nottingham at 0359 hours and never returned to base. Later investigations revealed that the aircraft crashed with no survivors in the sea near Crozon, France. The bodies of two of the crew, Pilot Officer (PO) G R Bayley (RAF) and 407808 Sgt William Rex Seymour (RAAF), were later recovered and interred in the Crozon Cemetery, France. The remainder of the crew were never found and were recorded as having lost their lives at sea. The names of Sgt Toohill, Sgt A G Harris (RAF), Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) J E Jones DFM (RAF), Flt Sgt R V Griffiths (RAF) and 406450 Sgt Peter Charles-Herbert Goldie are all recorded on the Memorial to the Missing in Runnymede, England.
Inscription
Royal Australian Air Force
Gravesite Details
404786
Family Members
Parents
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Records on Ancestry
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Web: UK and Allied Countries, Index of International Bomber Command Losses, 1936-1966
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UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947
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Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985
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UK, World War II Index to Allied Airmen Roll of Honour, 1939-1945
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Australia and New Zealand, Find a Grave® Index, 1800s-Current
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