LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Gordon Sydney COLLESS
Service No: 413826
Born: Penrith NSW, 11 November 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 September 1941
Unit: No. 466 Squadron, RAF Station Leconfield, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 466 Squadron Wellington aircraft HE481), off the French Coast, 30 June 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alfred Sydney and Minna Jane Colless, of Penrith, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 192, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 110, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Penrith City Memorial Park, Penrith NSW
Wellington HE481 took off from RAF Leconfield at 2322 hours on the night of 29 June 1943 to carry out a mining mission off the coast of France in the vicinity of Lorient. Four aircraft from the Squadron took part in the mission and of these HE481 failed to return. Post war searches found no trace of the missing aircraft or crew. The names of the missing crew are commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing, Runnymede, Surrey, UK. Four aircraft from No. 196 Squadron (RAF) also took part in the mission.
The crew members of HE481 were:
Flight Sergeant Gordon Sydney Colless (413826) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Bernard Keith Conroy (420152) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Douglas Ashton Dunn (413555) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Eric Otho Gregory (401503) (Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Russell Theodore Smit (39307) (RNZAF) (Navigator)
RAF Leconfield Operational order No 97 for the above mission laid down:
Mine Load: 1 x D400, 1 x D204 per aircraft.
Vegetables to be planted from 1000 feet. Dropping intervals 3 and 8 seconds for alternate aircraft
Route: Advanced Base (Harwell) – Bridgeport – Start Point – 48.30N 0530W – 47.30N 0430W – Pinpoint (Aven) – Garden – 47.30N 04.30W – 48.30N 0530W – Bridgeport – Harwell – Goole – Base
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, 166/8/151
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line