LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer George Arthur PALMER
Service No: 424450
Born: St Peters NSW, 9 February 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 19i42
Unit: No. 70 Squadron (RAF), Cerignola, Italy
Died: Air Operations: (No. 70 Squadron Wellington aircraft ME 957), Hungary, 21 October 1944, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Budapest War Cemetery, Hungary
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ernest and Beatrice Palmer; husband of Betty Eileen Palmer, of Clovelly, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wellington ME957 was detailed on the night of 20/21st October 1944, to carry out a raid on Szombatheley, Hungary. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A later report by a Missing Research and Enquiry team stated “the aircraft was shot down
on 21st October by an enemy night fighter and it crashed at Gostola. Gostola is a small village approximately 20 miles north east of Varazdin.” All the crew were killed and they are buried in the Budapest War Cemetery, Hungary.
The crew members of ME957 were:
Pilot Officer George Arthur Palmer (424450) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Lawrence Geoffrey Robertson (418581) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer Yves Ernest Edward Rolin (153203) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Donald Ansley Sandman (425943) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Norman Albert Stevens (429675) (Rear 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, 166/32/519