LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Frank Lethbridge McINTYRE
Service No: 401389
Born: Birmingham, England, 13 January 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 2 February 1941 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 7 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Oakington
Died: Air Operations: (No. 7 Squadron Stirling aircraft W7565), Germany, 29 July 1942, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Becklingen War Cemetery, Soltau, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Main McIntyre and Pauline Elizabeth McIntyre; husband of Rosemary Emily McIntyre, of Chelsea
Roll of Honour: Caulfield VIC
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2229 hours on the night of 28 July 1942 Stirling W7565 took off from Oakington detailed to attack Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire that wrecked the starboard inner engine and it was later shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Aschmoehor. Four crew members were killed and three became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of W7565 were:
Sergeant Albert Henry Charles Bates (403088) (Wireless Air Gunner) *
Sergeant John Boyle (404931) (Observer) *
Warrant Officer C F Carter (650146) (RAF) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Sergeant A L Crockford (1218535) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot) PoW
Sergeant Frank Lethbridge McIntyre (401389) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer L R Sidwell (117944) (RAF) (Rear Gunner) PoW
Flight Lieutenant Douglas Weston Whiteman (41809) (RAF) (Pilot)
* Members of 1651 Conversion Unit Oakington.
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, 163/141/650