LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Wintfred Patten HARRISON
Service No: 415652
Born: Bunbury WA, 25 October 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 December 1941
Unit: No. 166 Squadron (RAF), RAF Kirmington, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 166 Squadron Lancaster aircraft W4780), North West Europe, 3 January 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Josiah Patten Harrison and Hannah Jane Harrison, of Nannup, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 260, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Lancaster W4780 of 166 Squadron took off from RAF Station Kirmington at 0012 hours on the morning of 3 January 1944, being one of 12 squadron aircraft to attack Berlin. The weather experienced on the mission was extremely difficult with cloud up to 20,000 feet and some icing of engines and airframes. Seven aircraft reported seeing enemy night fighters although only one was attacked. Four aircraft were seen shot down from the target back to Halberstradt. Nothing was heard from W 4780 which failed to return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1950 that the missing crew had no known grave.
The crew members of W4780 were:
Sergeant James Birtwhistle (993153) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Geoffrey Firth (999710) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Harold Frederick Hales (1541335) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant John Hamilton (1822772) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Wintfred Patten Harrison (415652) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Peter Murray (658837) (RAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Edward Ashley Oldham (1582625) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/17/425