LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant William Henry HEWSON
Service No: 411704
Born: Carlton NSW, 15 April 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 24 May 1941
Unit: No. 83 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Wyton
Died: Air Operations: (No. 83 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB724), Belgium, 27 January 1944, Aged 31 Years
Buried: Hotton War Cemetery, Hotton, Luxembourg, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ernest Francis and Ethel Gertrude Hewson; husband of Betty Hewson, of Bexley North, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Bexley NSW
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1752 hours on the night of 27 January 1944 Lancaster JB724 took off from Wyton detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at 2330 hours ar Sautour (Namur), 3kms south south east of Phillippeville, Belgium. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of JB724 were:
Flying Officer Robert Hartny Adamson (J/16256) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
Flight Lieutenant Selwyn Henry Alcock DFC (88402) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Stanley Bullamore (1591602) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Lieutenant Leslie George Davis (120736) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant William Henry Hewson (411704) (Rear Gunner)
Warrant Officer Victor George Osterloh (548094) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Eric Wilfred Sargent DFC (114047) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
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, 166/17/457