LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Thomas Freer MacGREGOR-KING
Service No: 407178
Born: Adelaide SA, 2 April 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 July 1940
Unit: No. 12 Squadron (RAF), RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 12 Squadron Wellington aircraft Z8495), Germany, 6 May 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Kamp-Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Freer Barnes King and Isabella Mary King, of Echunga, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Echunga SA
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Wellington Z8495 took off from RAF Binbrook at 2204 hours in the night of 5 May 1942 to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A 1948 report by a Missing Research & Enquiry team stated “The aircraft crashed near Reuth presumably as a result of enemy aircraft. Olzheimj and Reuth are situated 8 and 10 kms respectively north east of Prum, which is about 80 kms south west of Koblenz. All the crew members were killed.”
The crew members of Z8495 were:
Pilot Officer Alan George Hersey (109016) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Thomas Freer MacGregor-King (407178) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Herbert John Ody (921915) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Norman Worsley Richardson DFC (404522) (Pilot)
Sergeant Edward Frederick Webb (644998) (RAF) (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, 163/141/546