LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Graham Albert George McLEOD
Service No: 12840
Born: Ivanhoe VIC, 23 January 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 4 February 1941
Unit: No. 158 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Lissett
Died: Air Operations: (No. 158 Squadron Halifax aircraft HR979), Germany, 24 August 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Berlin1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harold George and Florence Ida McLeod, of Hawthorn East, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Hawthorn VIC
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2026 hours on the night of 23 August 1943 Halifax HR979 took off from Lissett detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Oramenbury, 27 kms north north west of Berlin. Three crew members were killed and the other four were taken as Prisoners of War.
The crew members of HR979 were:
Sergeant J Batty (1196226) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) PoW
Pilot Officer A E Bryett (138896) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) PoW
Pilot Officer R W Chaston (136368) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Sergeant Lawrence George Chesson (11531050 (RAFVR) (Mid Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Harold Kevin Hornibrook (414034) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Graham Albert George McLeod (12840) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant A S Soutar (1341430) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
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, 166/26/215