LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Neil Francis GRAY
Service No: 406617
Born: Fremantle WA, 23 April 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941
Unit: No. 1 Aircraft Delivery Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1 Aircraft Delivery Unit Hudson aircraft FK459), Khartoum, 16 June 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Khartoum War Cemetery, Sudan
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert Alexander and Ethel May Gray, of East Fremantle, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Fremantle WA
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
On the 16th June 1943, Hudson FK 459 crashed near the RAF aerodrome at Khartoum, Sudan. The crew and 13 passengers were killed. The passengers included RAAF members Warrant Officer Neil Gray (Navigator/Bomb Aimer) and Warrant Officer Charles Raven (Pilot).
Those on board FK459 included:
Crew Members:
Sergeant Brian James Cox (1191347) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Neil Francis Gray (406617) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer George Edward Harris (149584) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer Charles Matthew Raven (401538) (Second Pilot)
Passengers:
Sergeant Douglas Elliott Guy Bown (967927) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Brian James Cox (1191347) (RAFVR)
Flight Sergeant John Creighton (RAF) (581321) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant S Crochowski (Polish Air Force) (Pilot)
Sergeant James Sidney Harris (1550611) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant James Lissett (1211346) (RAFVR)
Flight Sergeant Albert Partington (RAF) (656010) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Samuel Leonard Pointon (41936) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
Squadron Leader George Michael Roddy (37234) (RAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Stanlowiak (Polish Air Force) (Pilot)
Sergeant Ronald William Smith (1056937) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Tetnokski (Polish Air Force) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer G Tonczak (Polish Air Force) (Pilot)
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, 166/16/109
Bibliography:
Gaston, Bruce DFC (406646), Harry Horner DFC OAM (406595), Raymond Storer (406666) (Editors), Aircrew for the Duration: of and by members of RAAF EATS Courses 10, 11, 12 & 13, Gaston Horner and Storer, Nedlands WA, 1990