LEST WE FORGET
Wing Commander Gordon PANITZ DFC
Commanding Officer, No. 464 Squadron
Service No: 404891
Born: Boonah QLD, 21 September 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1940
Unit: No. 464 Squadron
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 29 October 1943 (Citation Title: No. 456 Squadron)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 464 Squadron Mosquito aircraft NT229), France, 22 August 1944, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Bona Communal Cemetery, Nievre, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick Samuel and Janet Panitz, of Southport, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Southport QLD
Remembered: Panel 109, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Mosquito NT229 took off from RAF Thorney Island at 1600 hours on the 22 August 1944, being part of a Squadron force of 13 aircraft detailed to carry out a daylight attack on marshalling yards and ammunition and supply transport at Chagny near Dijon, France. The formation was led by Wing Commander Panitz flying in NT229 which failed to return from the mission. The aircraft when flying very low struck the side of a hill and was completely wrecked and both crew members were killed.
The crew members of NT229 were:
Wing Commander Gordon Panitz DFC (404891) (Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Richard Sutton Williams DFC (411411) (Navigator)
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 A9300, PANITZ G
Bibliography:
Lax, M. (Mark) and Leon Kane-Maguire The Gestapo Hunters: 464 Squadron RAAF 1942-5, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 1999
Vincent, D. (David) Mosquito Monograph: A history of Mosquitoes in Australia and RAAF operations, David Vincent Highbury SA 5089, 1982