LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer William Charles JAMES
Service No: 429965
Born: Rosefield SA, 9 November 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 10 October 1942
Unit: No. 186 Squadron (RAF), RAF Stradishall, Suffolk
Died: Air Operations (No. 186 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NG353), Germany, 14 February 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Rodda James and Mary Margaret James, of Adelaide, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster NG353 took off from RAF Stradishall at 2203 hours on the night of 13 February 1945, detailed to bomb Dresden on Operation Thunderclap. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry team later reported: “The aircraft was attacked by an enemy night fighter and crashed at Dresden on 14 February 1945.” All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of NG353 were:
Flight Sergeant Alfred Leonard Bragg (1600770) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant John Derek Hall (1869558) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Edgar Maurice Holliday (1817846) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer William Charles James (429965) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Murphy (1515908) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Henry Charles Whaites (1404936) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Dennis Wood (1048622) (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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9300, JAMES W C