LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Arthur John HUNTLEY
Service No: 410488
Born: Mornington VIC, 5 October 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 30 January 1942
Unit: No. 458 Squadron, operating from Luqa, Malta
Died: Air Operations: (No. 458 Squadron Wellington aircraft ‘K’), Malta, 17 April 1944, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Malta
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Percy William and Nellie Jane Huntley, of Merricks North, Victoria, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Flinders Shire VIC
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Flight Sergeant Huntley survived the loss of Wellington MP 704 (Flying Officer John Reginald Markey (403429) (Pilot and Aircraft Captain)) on 23 January 1944.
The Squadron Operation Records Book records the following “On 17 April 1944 a detachment of 10 aircraft was ordered by NACAF to operate from Luqa, Malta, under the control of No. 248 Wing. At 2300 hours on the 19th April 1944 Flying Officer McMillan in ‘K’ returning to Luqa from a convoy escort mission, crashed when landing on the east west runway and burst into flames. The aircraft was carrying depth charges. Four of the crew members were killed and two survived the crash but were severely burned.”
The crew members of ‘K’ were:
Flying Officer R Bullen (125303) (RAF) (Navigator) Severely burned
Warrant Officer Herwald Graham Clarke (412940) (Wireless Air Gunner) Severely burned, Discharged from the RAAF: 16 October 1945
Flight Sergeant Arthur John Huntley (410488) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Herbert Russell McMillan (409574) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer John Michael Wagstaffe (1219231) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Robert Henry Williamson (1252008) (RAFVR) (Wireless 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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/18/268
Bibliography:
Alexander, P. (Peter) We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron, The 458 Squadron Council, 1959