LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Raymond Charles BANFIELD DFC
Service No: 415490
Born: Perth WA, 4 July 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941
Unit: No. 83 Squadron (RAF), RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire
Awarded to Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 25 January 1946 (Citation Title: No. 83 Squadron RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 83 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ND922), Germany, 25 July 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Durnbach War Cemetery, Bad Tolz, Bayern, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles Thomas Banfield and Violet Banfield, of Victoria Park, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Victoria Park WA
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
DFC Citation: “Flying Officer Banfield has participated in many night attacks against some of the enemy’s most heavily defended targets. He has proved himself to be a cool and courageous captain of aircraft. On one occasion when the aircraft was damaged by an enemy fighter, setting the bomb bay on fire and severely wounding the flight engineer, this officer displayed great coolness in taking proper evasive action to put out the fire. Afterwards he flew the damaged aircraft safely back to base. Flying Officer Banfield’s conspicuous gallantry and outstanding skill have maintained the high standard in his crew.” London Gazette 25 January 1946, Page 654)
Lancaster ND922 took off from RAF Wyton at 2215 hours on the night of 24/25th July 1944, detailed to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at 0145 hours on 25th July 1944 south east of Jungingen a small village 5 kms south east of Hechingen. All the crew were killed.
The crew members of ND922 were:
Flying Officer Raymond Charles Banfield DFC (415490) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Joseph Casebrook (1316080) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant Stanley James Compton (1600146) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Warrant Officer Wallace Herbert DFM (1178839) (RAFVR) (Second Air Bomber)
Flight Lieutenant Stanley George Norris DFC (135750) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Ernest Pattison (1812157) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Lieutenant Michael Ward DFC (134564) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Joseph Wheeler (2208907) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
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, 166/5/636