LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Hilary Francis GRACE
Service No: 404963
Born: Wondai QLD, 24 June 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 January 1941
Unit: No. 150 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Snaith
Died: Air Operations: (No. 150 Squadron Wellington aircraft Z1651), North West Europe, 14 September 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Henry and Stella Mary Grace, of Sherwood, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 111, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wellington Z1651 was one of 9 aircraft which took off from Snaith to attack Bremen, Germany. The weather en route was cloudy, but fine over the target which was obscured by smoke haze. Moderate to heavy anti-aircraft was encountered over the north west and south east of Bremen. Nothing was heard from Z1651 aircraft after take-off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations when no trace of the missing aircraft or crew was found, it was recorded in 1950 that the missing crew had no known grave.
The crew members of Z1651 were:
Sergeant John Claridge Chambers (1457097) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant Hilary Francis Grace (404963) (Pilot)
Sergeant Harold William Holgate (405588) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Charles Mackenzie (1108858) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Trevor Douglas Shepherd (411265) (Air 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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/118/467