LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Henry Whitfield LUKER
Service No: 6756
Born: Eastleach, England, 11 September 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 January 1940 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 83 Squadron (RAF), RAF Wyton, Cambridgeshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 83 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED439), Lincolnshire, 18 June 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Henley-on-Thames Cemetery, Oxfordshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John and Helen Mary Luker of Cleveland, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Cleveland QLD
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster ED439 took off from RAF Wyton at 1010 hours on 18th June 1943 to carry out a day practice bombing training exercise, but the aircraft did not carry out the detail. It dived out of cloud and struck a house at High Gate Farm in Swaton, 11 kms south east of Sleaford, Lincolnshire. All the nine on board the aircraft were killed
The crew members of ED439 were:
Corporal Thomas John Bond (1024724) (RAFVR) (Supernumerary)
Sergeant Harry William Cheshire (1336708) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Max Kiernan Cummings (408904) (Pilot)
Sergeant Henry Whitfield Luker (6756) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant John Roughley (1431821) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Robert Allan Taylor (R/113958) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Corporal Francis Neville Sloss (1544915) (RAFVR) (Supernumerary)
Sergeant Francis William Wilcox (537936) (RAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Norman Woodcock (1588938) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper 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, 166/25/47