LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Norman Neville DUNN
Service No: 415315
Born: Subiaco WA, 13 October 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 September 1941
Unit: No. 17 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Silverstone, Northamptonshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 17 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft HE324), Devon, 18 September 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Heanton Punchardon (St Augustine) Churchyard, Devon
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur John Wellesley Dunn and Mary Grace Dunn, of West Leederville, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Perth WA
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
On 18th September 1943, Wellington HE324 was taking part in night non-operational Combined Command Bulleyes, and was detailed to fly at 7,000 feet, cloud permitting. It was reported by RAF Chivenor, that an aircraft had crashed at 0054 hours on the 18th September, and all the crew were killed.
A Flying Accident report stated: “the cause of the accident was unknown. Pilot Officer Stewart, the Pilot of a Beaufighter from No 125 Squadron (RAF), reported that he carried out an interception of a Wellington aircraft near Bidefort at 0048 hours. The Wellington evaded the intercept and disappeared into cloud. Flight Sergeant O’Brien of No 29 Operational Training Unit flying a
Wellington stated a Beaufighter over took him and attacked another Wellington at 0052 hours. Both aircraft disappeared into cloud and shortly after there was an explosion on the ground. Other Pilots on the same exercise reported a towering mass of Cumulo-Nimbus cloud in the Barnstaple area.”
The crew members of HE324 were:
Sergeant John Donnachie (1558638) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Norman Neville Dunn (415315) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Hiram Farrer (J/24523) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Raymond Edgar Dolling (1337861) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Henry Arthur Newnham (424305) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant James William Hallam (1819415) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
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, 166/10/112