LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Kevin Leslie Thomas DICKERSON
Service No: 421578
Born: Orange NSW, 18 January 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 February 1942
Unit: No. 460 Squadron, RAF Station Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 460 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ME755), France, 15 July 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Chevillon Communal Cemetery, Haute Marne, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Leslie Thomas Dickerson and Robina Bridget Dickerson, of Concord, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Concord NSW
Remembered: Panel 107, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Concord War Memorial, Concord NSW
On 14-15 July 1944, 15 crews were sent to Revigny only to be ordered by the master bomber not to attack because he could not assess the accuracy of the target marking.
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 235
Lancaster ME755 took off from RAF Binbrook at 2138 hours on the night of 14 July 1944 to bomb Revigny, France. The bomb load was 6 x 1000 lb (pound) (450 kg) and 4 x 500 lb (225 kg) bombs.
Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Fifteen aircraft from the squadron took part in the raid, and one ME755 failed to return. Post war it was established that the aircraft crashed at Chevillon (Haute-Marne), a village some 16kms southeast of St-Dizier, France. Five of the crew members were killed and two evaded capture and were returned safely to UK.
The crew members of ME755 were:
Sergeant Alexander Allan (1562335) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Kevin Leslie Thomas Dickerson (421578) (Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Frederick Jeffries (1323904) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Horace Sidney Kilsby (1575038) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Brian Francis Raftery (424460) (Wireless Operator Air) Evaded capture, Discharged from the RAAF: 13 September 1945
Pilot Officer William Alan Henry Vaughan (421774) (Pilot)
Sergeant D Wade (1593056) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner) Evaded Capture
In a statement Flight Sergeant Raftery reported “The sortie was aborted and the crew was ordered to bring the bombs back. At 0200 hours about six minutes after the order to return was given, I heard canon fire striking the forepart of the fuselage. Fire broke out near the wireless set and the intercom was unserviceable. I looked for the navigator without success, and baled out of the rear door. The mid upper gunner was at the time doing up his chute. The estimated height was 2,000 feet. Until the door was opened the aircraft was reasonably steady, but then went into a steep dive. Sergeant Wade was contacted on the ground. Two days later I was informed that five of the crew were killed. I identified the bodies from photos I was shown by the Resistance movement. All were buried at Chevillon. I saw photos of Vaughan and Dickerson.”
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, 166/9/352
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Firkins, P. C. (Peter Charles) (441386) Strike and Return, Westward Ho Publishing City Beach WA, 1985