LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Garth Stewart HUGHES DFC
Service No: 413614
Born: Turramurra NSW, 3 October 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 1941
Unit: No. 514 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Waterbeach
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 24 December 1943
Died: Air Operations: (No. 514 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LL738), Germany, 31 March 1944, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles Stuart Parnell Hughes and Florence Alice Hughes, of Turramurra, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Turramurra NSW
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: University of Sydney World War II Roll of Honour, Camperdown NSW
DFC Citation: “One night in October 1943, this officer piloted an aircraft detailed to attack Berlin. Just as the bombing run was completed, his aircraft was attacked by a fighter. Pilot Officer Hughes succeeded in evading the attacker but his aircraft had been repeatedly hit by bullets from the enemy aircraft. The Rear Gunner was killed. The mid upper turret was rendered unserviceable, while the fuselage became filled with smoke which prevented Pilot Officer Hughes from seeing his instruments. The smoke cleared, however, when several small fires in the fuselage were extinguished. Almost immediately, another fighter took up the attack, but Pilot Officer Hughes was able to evade it and a course was set for base. Soon afterwards, one of the damaged engines became useless. Although the aircraft became difficult to control, Pilot Officer Hughes succeeded in reaching base. This officer, who has attacked Berlin on five previous occasions, displayed a high degree of skill, courage and determination.” (London Gazette 24 December 1943, Page 5587)
At 2225 hours on the night of 30 March 1944 Lancaster LL738 took off from Waterbeach detailed to bomb Nuremberg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. When outbound to the target, the aircraft was shot down by a JU88, which came upon LL738 as it held course at 21,000 feet. Out of control, the aircraft exploded in the air, and crashed into the southern outskirts of Sinzig at Westun. Sinzig is situated on the Rhine, 31 miles south east of Cologne, Germany. Six of the crew members lost their lives and one was taken prisoner.
The crew members of LL738 were:
Warrant Officer Osmond John Goddard (421267) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant A D Hall (427199) (RNZAF) (Air Bomber) PoW
Pilot Officer Garth Stewart Hughes DFC (413614) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Llewellyn Selwyn Smith (416587) (RNZAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant George Henry Thornton (1618730) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Harry West (1523926) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Leslie James Henry Whitbread (1437285) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
In a Prisoner of War report Flight Sergeant Hall stated: “Our aircraft was attacked and set on fire. I was the first to leave the aircraft. I regret being unable to give any information on the fate of the other six crew members.”
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 A9300, HUGHES G S
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line