LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Maxwell Wellman MARSH
Service No: 415811
Born: Armadale WA, 31 October 1911
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 February 1942
Unit: No. 40 Squadron (RAF), Foggia Main, Italy
Died: Air Operations: (No. 40 Squadron Wellington aircraft LP195), Austria, 7 July 1944, Aged 32 Years
Buried: Klagenfurt War Cemetery, Austria
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Wellman and Edwarda Mary Marsh, of Bassendean, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Pingelly WA
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Wellington LP195 took off from Foggia Main landing ground, Italy, on 7th July 1944, detailed to attack Feuersbrunn aerodrome near Vienna. The purpose of this attack was to disrupt German fighter aircraft operations against US Bombers raiding facilities on the oil supply route along the Danube River. The formation of Squadron aircraft encountered German fighters and three of the aircraft, including LP 195 were shot down in close proximity to St Polten, approximately 50 kms west of Vienna. All the crews in the three squadron aircraft were killed.
The crew members of LP195 were –
Sergeant Vincent Charles (1675761) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Ronald Thomas Collins (418811) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Rae Charles Dalton (418923) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Maxwell Wellman Marsh (415811) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Douglas William Nicolls (1395633) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator 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, 166/27/103