LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer James Archibald McLOUGHLIN
Service No: 415269
Born: Geraldton WA, 25 July 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 17 August 1941
Unit: No. 115 Squadron (RAF), RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 115 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LL648), Germany, 30 January 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Archibald and Violet Minnie McLoughlin, of Mount Lawley, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Mundaring WA
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Lancaster LL648 took off from RAF Witchford at 1728 hours on the night of 30/31st January 1944, detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry Team reported “the aircraft crashed at Johanisthal on the south east outskirts of Berlin on the evening of 30th January, 1944.” All the crew were killed and six are buried in the Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery and Flying Officer Gladwell has no known grave.
The crew members of LL648 were:
Flying Officer Bernard Arthur William Beer (126822) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Arthur Ernest Elms (1521641) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer Charles Frederick Farquharson (404170) (RNZAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Harold George Hicks (411405) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Michael George Gladwell (141116) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer James Archibald McLaughlin (415269) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Alan Walter Todd (421338) (RNZAF) (Air Bomber)
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, 166/26/361