LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer David Campbell CHURCH
Service No: 417992
Born: Murwillumbah NSW, 24 May 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 1942 (at Adelaide SA)
Unit: No. 207 Squadron (RAF), RAF Spilsby, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 207 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM271), Norway, 29 October 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Bergen (Mollendal) Church, Norway
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Gordon Campbell and Evelina Glynde Church, of Naracoorte, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Naracoorte SA
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster LM271 took off from RAF Spilsby at 2239 hours on the night of 28/29th October 1944, detailed to bomb U boat pens at Bergen, Norway. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed in the target area and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of LM271 were:
Flying Officer David Campbell Church (417992) (Pilot)
Sergeant Arthur Shatwell (1089927) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant John McLean (1566319) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Henry George Smith (1872415) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Russell James Hammond Tuddenham (1319075) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Arthur Walmsley (1090492) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Colin Whitehead (1621003) (RAFVR) (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, 166/7/681