LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Herbert William DAVIES
Service No: 422143
Born: Narrandera NSW, 18 October 1909
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 April 1942
Unit: No. 166 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Kirmington
Died: Air Operations: (No. 166 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ME777), Netherlands, 13 June 1944, Aged 34 Years
Buried: Zelhem General Cemetery, Gelderland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Herbert and Jane Davies; husband of Sadie Kathleen Davies, of Ashfield, New South Wales, Australia. B.A.
Roll of Honour: Cootamundra NSW
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cootamundra War Memorial, Cootamundra NSW
Remembered: Gundagai ANZAC Park War Memorial, Gundagai NSW
Remembered: Gundagai War Memorial, Gundagai NSW
Lancaster ME777 took off from Kirmington at 2216 hours on the night of 12/13 June 1944, detailed to bomb Gelsenkirchen. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research & Enquiry team reported later: “The aircraft crashed in the vicinity of Zelheim (Gelderland), Netherlands on 13 June 1944 and all the crew members were killed.”
The crew members of ME777 were:
Sergeant Joseph Eric Bawtree (1893164) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Harry Arthur Bulger Brown (434525) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Herbert William Davies (422143) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer William George Grant BEM (152306) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Leslie Thomas Hunt (423242) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Keith James Moses (432231) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer John Henry Stopp (419738) (Navigator)
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 A705, 166/9/329
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line