LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Douglas McAULLY
Service No: 425040
Born: Brisbane QLD, 5 September 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 December 1941
Unit: No. 70 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 70 Squadron Wellington aircraft LN870), Bulgaria, 12 June 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Sofia War Cemetery, Bulgaria
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John and Edith McAully, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Rockhampton QLD
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the night of 11/12 June 1944 Wellington LN870 took off from Tortorella landing ground, Italy, to attack the airfield at Karlovo, Bulgaria. The attack was to disrupt German fighter aircraft operations against US Bombers raiding oil targets in Romania. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry team later reported “the aircraft crashed between the villages of Krivodel and Staliiska Mahala, in the district of Lom. All the crew members were killed.”
The crew members of LN870 were:
Sergeant William Leonard Bugg (1323669) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant Ronald Lewis Malor (423246) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Brian Edward Marstin (414498) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Douglas McAully (425040) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Ian Reid (1574052) (RAFVR) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/26/482