LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Leslie Clement DORWARD DFC MID
Service No: 404174
Born: Brisbane QLD, 22 March 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 June 1940
Unit: No. 97 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Woodhall Spa
Awarded the Mentioned in Despatches (MID)
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 27 July 1943
Died: Air Operations: (No. 97 Squadron Lancaster aircraft R5701), Belgium, 5 October 1942, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Gelderland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Herbert and Alice Maud Dorward, of Sandgate, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Gympie QLD
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
DFC Citation: Flying Officer Dorward has participated in many operational sorties and his targets have included Trondheim, Gydnia and a number of heavily defended areas of Germany. This officer has always shown outstanding cheerfulness in the performance of his duties and his excellent navigational skill has contributed largely to the successful results obtained.
(London Gazette 27 July 1943 Page 3384)
At 1911 hours on the night of 5 October 1942 Lancaster R5701 took off from Woodhill Spa to bomb Aachen. Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed between Brunssum and Amstenrade (Limburg), Belgium. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of R5701 were:
Flying Officer Neville James Briant DFC (106371) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Robert Dawson (1311085) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Augustus Harold James Desmond (1375654) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Leslie Clement Dorward DFC MID (404174) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Kenneth Howard Harrison DFM (47528) (RAF) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Kenneth Oswald MacKay DFM (1253668) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Albert Edward Musgrave (570712) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
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, 163/28/119