LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations: (No. 458 Squadron Wellington aircraft MP706), Mediterranean, 24 August 1943
The No. 458 Squadron Operations Record Book records “On the night of 23 August 1943 four Wellingtons of this Squadron were despatched between 1956 hours and 2158 hours to carry out an offensive shipping search on four allocated areas. Pilot Officer Scott and crew were allocated the
Civitaveschia- Elbe- Leghorn area, but the aircraft failed to return to base. At 2300 hours one of our other Wellingtons intercepted a message from Scott’s aircraft requesting instructions but the message was not received by base. At 0155 hours Headquarters Group received a message from the aircraft requesting instructions and at 0200 hours Group replied that it had nothing to communicate. When the aircraft became overdue Group and Malta attempted to contact the aircraft by wireless/telegraph for a considerable time but without success.”
The crew members of MP706 were:
Flying Officer Manley Lyall Brechin (J/20439) (RCAF) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant William Edward Dixon (1213637) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Jack Hillen (127301) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Lieutenant Russell Clare Scott (J/20438) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Whittaker (1315073) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Maurice Edwin Windsor (1212913) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
No trace of the missing crew members was found and their names are commemorated on the Malta Memorial.
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
Bibliography:
Alexander, P. (Peter) We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron, The 458 Squadron Council, 1959