LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Neville Ernest LEWIS
Service No: 429464
Born: Emerald QLD, 20 April 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 October 1942
Unit: No. 51 Squadron (RAF), RAF Snaith, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 51 Squadron Halifax aircraft NR129), Belgium, 21 November 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Leopoldsburg War Cemetery, Leopoldsburg, Limburg, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ernest James Lewis and Ethel Lewis, of Selma Siding, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Emerald QLD
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Halifax NR129 took off from RAF Snaith at 1721 hours on the night of 21/22nd November 1944, detailed to bomb Sterkrade, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. NR 129 collided in the air over Belgium with No. 346 Squadron (RAF) Halifax NA557 in the vicinity of Thynes and both aircraft crashed with the crews in both aircraft being killed. The 346 Squadron aircraft was crewed by members of the Free French Air Force.
The crew members of NR129 were:
Sergeant Leslie Thomas Carter (1866694) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Gordon Lawrence Chapman (110639) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant John David Clark (1853346) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Michael William Cockbaine (1600118) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Neville Ernest Lewis (429464) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer William Alfred Porter (427544) (Navigator)
Sergeant Edwin Valentine Wallis (1802513) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
The crew members of NA557 were:
Sergeant Andrew Marie Boutillier FFAF
Sergeant Louis Andre Fauges FFAF
Adjutant Andre Fleck FFAF
Sergeant Jean Armedee Godefroy FFAF
Adjutant Francois Jean-Jacques Lafont FFAF
Captain Claude Jean-Jacques Loew FFAF (Pilot)
Adjutant Georges Eugene Thiery FFAF
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, 166/24/607