LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Graham Richard CONLEY
Service No: 432486
Born: Kogarah NSW, 23 July 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 2 January 1943
Unit: No. 622 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Mildenhall
Died: Air Operations (No. 622 Squadron Lancaster aircraft HK769), Germany, 2 March 1945, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Hotton War Cemetery, Luxembourg, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Bertram and Rosina Emma Conley, of Fairfield, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Fairfield NSW
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1301 hours on the 2 March 1945, Lancaster HK769 took off from Mildenhall detailed to bomb Cologne, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was flying in formation and was seen to receive a direct hit from anti-aircraft fire, and crashed at Pulheim, Germany. All on board were killed.
The crew members of HK769 were:
Sergeant Peter Spackman Armitage (1809956) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Ernest Bertin Boyce (J/94382) (RCAF) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Clair Patrick Boyle (J/40730) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Graham Richard Conley (432486) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Frederick Heywood (1809777) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant David Gerald Lewis (1337965) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant William James Ormshaw (2221412) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Maurice Edward Michael Ray (190958) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/8/892