LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Louis Frederick SAMSON
Service No: 415186
Born: Fremantle WA, 29 August 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 July 1941
Unit: No. 77 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Elvington
Died: Air Operations (No. 77 Squadron (RAF) Halifax aircraft JB847), France, 9 April 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Creil Communal Cemetery, Oise, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Horace Frederic and May Emily Samson, of Gosnells, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Nedlands WA
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Halifax JB847 took off from RAF Elvington at 2141 hours on the night of 8/9th April 1943, detailed to bomb Duisberg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was homebound at 15,000 feet when it was shot down by a night fighter. The order to bale out was given, but only Pilot Officer Wilson succeeded in leaving before the aircraft crashed at Moyvilliers (Oise) near Estree-St-Denis, France.
The crew members were:
Flight Lieutenant Julien William Noel Balley (122321) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Tom Crossland (1580165) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Peter Alexander Greene (1109116) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Ronald Walter Hedicker (1318167) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Thomas Smith McStay (1375108) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Louis Frederick Samson (415186) (Second Pilot)
Pilot Officer R Wilson (129049) (RAF) (Air Bomber) PoW
Sergeant James William Robert Henry Woodley (1211129) (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, 166/37/68