LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Ronald Patrick O’DEA
Service No: 427017
Born: Geraldton WA, 10 August 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1942
Unit: No. 49 Squadron (RAF), RAF Fiskerton, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 49 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB362), Germany, 26 November 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Daniel Patrick and Amy O’Dea, of Geraldton, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Geraldton WA
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Lancaster JB362 took off from RAF Fiskerton at 1731 hours on the night of 26/27th November 1943 detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Gransee approximately 25 miles south east of Neustrelitz, Germany, killing six crew members with one becoming a Prisoner of War.
The crew members of JB362 were:
Sergeant Frederick Edward Ashman (1337269) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant J G Burrows (1452806) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) PoW
Sergeant Harold Bronsky (1392087) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Warrant Officer Ronald Brunt (1288015) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Ronald William Norley DFM (1386374) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Ronald Patrick O’Dea (427017) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Edward David Wilson (1452163) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper 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, 166/31/124