LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Edward Vivian LAING
Service No: 406693
Born: Albany WA, 27 June 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941
Unit: No. 103 Squadron (RAF), RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: Early Pathfinder Raids (No. 103 Squadron Lancaster aircraft W4335), Netherlands, 21 January 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Enschede Eastern General Cemetery, Overijssel, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur Vivian and Laura May Laing, of Denmark, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Denmark WA
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Lancaster W4335 took off from RAF Elsham Wolds at 1743 hours on the night of 21 January 1943, detailed to bomb Essen, Germany. 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 1935 hours near Enschede (Overijssel) Holland. All the crew were killed.
The crew members of W4335 were:
Flight Sergeant Frank Lawrence Boyd (412101) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Stanley Charles Brewer (1600029) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Edward Vivian Laing (406693) (Pilot)
Sergeant Ronald Taylor (648472) (RAF) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Keith Robert Webber (411562) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Douglas George Williams (411566) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Anthony Marshall Willis (925963) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
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, 166/24/14
Bibliography:
Charlwood, D.E.C. (Donald Ernest Cameron) (408794) No Moon Tonight (Angus and Robertson 1956), Penguin Ringwood VIC, 3134, 1991
Gaston, Bruce DFC (406646), Harry Horner DFC OAM (406595), Raymond Storer (406666) (Editors), Aircrew for the Duration: of and by members of RAAF EATS Courses 10, 11, 12 & 13, Gaston Horner and Storer, Nedlands WA, 1990