LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Mervyn Arthur HINES
Service No: 413152
Born: Albury NSW, 23 October 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 August 1941
Unit: No. 114 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 114 Squadron Boston aircraft BZ207), off the Italian Coast, 31 March 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Moro River Canadian War Cemetery Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Frederick and Sarah Ruth Hines, of Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 31st March 1944 Boston BZ207 flown by Warrant Officer Hines was one of eight aircraft from No. 114 Squadron detailed to carry out an armed reconnaissance of coastal shipping between Pescara and Ancona, Italy. If no enemy ships were sighted on the way north the crews were instructed to attack harbour installations at Ancona. The aircraft took off on the mission at 2019 hours and the crews were instructed not to send any wireless messages. The other aircraft returned safely from the mission but Warrant Officer Hines and crew failed to return. Warrant Officer Hines’ body was recovered from the sea near Rodi on the east coast of Italy 2 May 1944.
The crew members of BZ207 were:
Sergeant Robert Douglas Falconer (1392253) (RAFVR) (Navigator Bomb Aimer) Unrecovered
Sergeant Wilfred Wallace Gould (1318715) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Mervyn Arthur Hines (413152) (Pilot)
Sergeant Joseph James Hutton (1795574) (RAFVR) (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, 166/17/522
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line