~~~~~~~~~~~~~Summary of Military Service Records RAAF World War Two~~~~~~~~
Service Number:--- 404994
Enlisted:--- 5th January 1941, Brisbane, Queensland
Last Rank:--- Flying Officer
Last Unit:---No. 12 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Born:--- Townsville, Queensland, 2nd May 1922
Home Town:--- Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland
Religion:--- Presbyterian
Next of Kin:--- Brother, Mr John Clarence Shearer, 27 Stewarts Rd, Ashgrove, Brisbane.
Uncle:--- Bruce Shearer
Civilian Employment:--- Bank clerk
Martial Status:--- Single
Age on enlistment:--- 18 years and 8 months.
Fate: ---Killed in Action (flying battle - the Thousand Bomber Raid), Germany, 31 May 1942, aged 20 years
Burial:--- Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany
Memorials:---- Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
Parents:---John Shearer and Dora Jane Hamwood, married 1920, Toowoomba, QLD.
Details of death:--- His aircraft, Wellington 11 Z8643 crashed near Dorsten, Germany. A surviving member of the crew stated that just after crossing the Holland coast the starboard engine caught fire and spread to the wing. William was the only crew member not to survive the other members had baled out and were taken Prisoner of War.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Other Information~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The crew members of Z8643 were:
Sergeant E D Ansford (41529) (RNZAF) (Observer) PoW
Sergeant Bruce Oliver Brown (403496) (Bomb Aimer) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 21 November 1946
Sergeant G A Game (402993) (RNZAF) (Rear Gunner) PoW
Sergeant C F McKenna (403763) (RNZAF) (Wireless Air Gunner) PoW
Flying Officer William Bruce Shearer (404994) (Pilot)
In a 1945 PoW report the then Warrant Officer Brown stated "Soon after crossing the coast of Holland the starboard engine began smoking badly. I was instructed by the pilot to pump oil, which I did. Shortly after the whole engine nacelle got red hot then burst into flames. The pilot used the fire extinguisher to no effect, and the flames spread to the wing and fuselage. The bale out order was given, and I baled out at about 12,000 feet. The aircraft was still under control. I believe it crashed in the region of Dussleldorf. I landed on Woods near Dorsten. I was captured the next day by a German sentry from a flak battery."
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans' Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record
Service Number:--- 404994
Enlisted:--- 5th January 1941, Brisbane, Queensland
Last Rank:--- Flying Officer
Last Unit:---No. 12 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Born:--- Townsville, Queensland, 2nd May 1922
Home Town:--- Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland
Religion:--- Presbyterian
Next of Kin:--- Brother, Mr John Clarence Shearer, 27 Stewarts Rd, Ashgrove, Brisbane.
Uncle:--- Bruce Shearer
Civilian Employment:--- Bank clerk
Martial Status:--- Single
Age on enlistment:--- 18 years and 8 months.
Fate: ---Killed in Action (flying battle - the Thousand Bomber Raid), Germany, 31 May 1942, aged 20 years
Burial:--- Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany
Memorials:---- Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
Parents:---John Shearer and Dora Jane Hamwood, married 1920, Toowoomba, QLD.
Details of death:--- His aircraft, Wellington 11 Z8643 crashed near Dorsten, Germany. A surviving member of the crew stated that just after crossing the Holland coast the starboard engine caught fire and spread to the wing. William was the only crew member not to survive the other members had baled out and were taken Prisoner of War.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Other Information~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The crew members of Z8643 were:
Sergeant E D Ansford (41529) (RNZAF) (Observer) PoW
Sergeant Bruce Oliver Brown (403496) (Bomb Aimer) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 21 November 1946
Sergeant G A Game (402993) (RNZAF) (Rear Gunner) PoW
Sergeant C F McKenna (403763) (RNZAF) (Wireless Air Gunner) PoW
Flying Officer William Bruce Shearer (404994) (Pilot)
In a 1945 PoW report the then Warrant Officer Brown stated "Soon after crossing the coast of Holland the starboard engine began smoking badly. I was instructed by the pilot to pump oil, which I did. Shortly after the whole engine nacelle got red hot then burst into flames. The pilot used the fire extinguisher to no effect, and the flames spread to the wing and fuselage. The bale out order was given, and I baled out at about 12,000 feet. The aircraft was still under control. I believe it crashed in the region of Dussleldorf. I landed on Woods near Dorsten. I was captured the next day by a German sentry from a flak battery."
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans' Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record
~~~~~~~~~~~~~Summary of Military Service Records RAAF World War Two~~~~~~~~
Service Number:--- 404994
Enlisted:--- 5th January 1941, Brisbane, Queensland
Last Rank:--- Flying Officer
Last Unit:---No. 12 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Born:--- Townsville, Queensland, 2nd May 1922
Home Town:--- Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland
Religion:--- Presbyterian
Next of Kin:--- Brother, Mr John Clarence Shearer, 27 Stewarts Rd, Ashgrove, Brisbane.
Uncle:--- Bruce Shearer
Civilian Employment:--- Bank clerk
Martial Status:--- Single
Age on enlistment:--- 18 years and 8 months.
Fate: ---Killed in Action (flying battle - the Thousand Bomber Raid), Germany, 31 May 1942, aged 20 years
Burial:--- Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany
Memorials:---- Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
Parents:---John Shearer and Dora Jane Hamwood, married 1920, Toowoomba, QLD.
Details of death:--- His aircraft, Wellington 11 Z8643 crashed near Dorsten, Germany. A surviving member of the crew stated that just after crossing the Holland coast the starboard engine caught fire and spread to the wing. William was the only crew member not to survive the other members had baled out and were taken Prisoner of War.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Other Information~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The crew members of Z8643 were:
Sergeant E D Ansford (41529) (RNZAF) (Observer) PoW
Sergeant Bruce Oliver Brown (403496) (Bomb Aimer) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 21 November 1946
Sergeant G A Game (402993) (RNZAF) (Rear Gunner) PoW
Sergeant C F McKenna (403763) (RNZAF) (Wireless Air Gunner) PoW
Flying Officer William Bruce Shearer (404994) (Pilot)
In a 1945 PoW report the then Warrant Officer Brown stated "Soon after crossing the coast of Holland the starboard engine began smoking badly. I was instructed by the pilot to pump oil, which I did. Shortly after the whole engine nacelle got red hot then burst into flames. The pilot used the fire extinguisher to no effect, and the flames spread to the wing and fuselage. The bale out order was given, and I baled out at about 12,000 feet. The aircraft was still under control. I believe it crashed in the region of Dussleldorf. I landed on Woods near Dorsten. I was captured the next day by a German sentry from a flak battery."
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans' Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record
Service Number:--- 404994
Enlisted:--- 5th January 1941, Brisbane, Queensland
Last Rank:--- Flying Officer
Last Unit:---No. 12 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Born:--- Townsville, Queensland, 2nd May 1922
Home Town:--- Brisbane, Brisbane, Queensland
Religion:--- Presbyterian
Next of Kin:--- Brother, Mr John Clarence Shearer, 27 Stewarts Rd, Ashgrove, Brisbane.
Uncle:--- Bruce Shearer
Civilian Employment:--- Bank clerk
Martial Status:--- Single
Age on enlistment:--- 18 years and 8 months.
Fate: ---Killed in Action (flying battle - the Thousand Bomber Raid), Germany, 31 May 1942, aged 20 years
Burial:--- Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany
Memorials:---- Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour
Parents:---John Shearer and Dora Jane Hamwood, married 1920, Toowoomba, QLD.
Details of death:--- His aircraft, Wellington 11 Z8643 crashed near Dorsten, Germany. A surviving member of the crew stated that just after crossing the Holland coast the starboard engine caught fire and spread to the wing. William was the only crew member not to survive the other members had baled out and were taken Prisoner of War.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Other Information~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The crew members of Z8643 were:
Sergeant E D Ansford (41529) (RNZAF) (Observer) PoW
Sergeant Bruce Oliver Brown (403496) (Bomb Aimer) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 21 November 1946
Sergeant G A Game (402993) (RNZAF) (Rear Gunner) PoW
Sergeant C F McKenna (403763) (RNZAF) (Wireless Air Gunner) PoW
Flying Officer William Bruce Shearer (404994) (Pilot)
In a 1945 PoW report the then Warrant Officer Brown stated "Soon after crossing the coast of Holland the starboard engine began smoking badly. I was instructed by the pilot to pump oil, which I did. Shortly after the whole engine nacelle got red hot then burst into flames. The pilot used the fire extinguisher to no effect, and the flames spread to the wing and fuselage. The bale out order was given, and I baled out at about 12,000 feet. The aircraft was still under control. I believe it crashed in the region of Dussleldorf. I landed on Woods near Dorsten. I was captured the next day by a German sentry from a flak battery."
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans' Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record
Gravesite Details
Flying Officer, Royal Australian Air Force. Age: 20.
Family Members
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