LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant William Alexander DICKSON
Service No: 423079
Born: Marrickville NSW, 31 October 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1942
Unit: No. 626 Squadron (RAF), RAF station Wickenby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 626 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PB412), North Sea area, 5 October 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information:
Roll of Honour: Rosebery NSW
Remembered: Panel 260, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Rosebery World War Two Memorial, Rosebery NSW
Lancaster PB412 took off from Wickenby at 1716 hours on 4 October 1944 on a mine laying operation in enemy waters in the “Silverthorn” area. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded that the missing crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of PB412 were:
Flight Sergeant William Alexander Dickson (423079) (Wireless Operator Air)
Sergeant Charles Frederick Farley (629251) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Louis Cohen (1668508) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer George Arthur Green (424456) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant William Christopher Norman (1592453) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant William Arthur Stephens (429247) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Kenneth Edward Frederick Taylor (153350) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/9/416
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line