LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Kenneth John NEILL
Service No: 407800
Born: Adelaide SA, 1 August 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 January 1945
Unit: No. 458 Squadron, Protville, Tunisia
Died: Air Operations (No. 458 Squadron Wellington aircraft MP629), off Sardinia, 13 July 1943, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arnold and Effie May Neill, of Campbelltown, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 11, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Wellington MP629 took off from RAF Protville at 2045 hours on the night of 12 July 1943 to carry out an armed search for shipping in the Corsica-North Sardinia area. The aircraft sent a sighting report at 2320 hours but nothing was heard after that and the aircraft failed to return. Following post war enquiries and interrogation of local inhabitants a Missing Research and Enquiry Unit reported that the aircraft was shot down and crashed in the sea between Palau and La Maddalena on 13 July 1943.
The crew members of MP629 were:
Warrant Officer II Howard Eldon Bradley (R/119875) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Francis Gerald Crocker (1192315) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Flying Officer John Andrew Diggins (J/12745) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flying Officer William Charles Hailstone (J/10642) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Kenneth John Neill (407800) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer II Donald Hyatt McConechy (R/98941) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant James Tindall (1334816) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer II William Wallace Wright (R/87392) (RCAF) (Wireless 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, 166/29/32
Bibliography:
Alexander, P. (Peter) We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron, The 458 Squadron Council, 1959