LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Edwin Earle PARKER
Service No: 426381
Born: Mullumbimby NSW, 7 December 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1942 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 49 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Fiskerton
Died: Air Operations: (No. 49 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB413), Germany, 22 October 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Hanover War Cemetery, Niedersachsen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Walter Edwin and Amy Parker, of Glen Innes, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Glen Innes NSW
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1818 hours on the night of 22 October 1943 Lancaster JB413 took off from Fiskerton detailed to bomb Kassel, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was attacked by a night fighter aircraft and is believed to have crashed at Wunstorf with two crew members killed and five taken as Prisoners of War.
The crew members of JB413 were:
Sergeant N S Dunbabin (2203779) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner) PoW
Flight Sergeant R K Drinnan (R/147689) (RCAF) (Air Bomber) PoW
Sergeant W Kemp (1566761) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Sergeant R H Norman (1213821) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner) PoW
Flight Sergeant Edwin Earle Parker (426381) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant I Spence (1493492) (RAF) (Navigator) PoW
Pilot Officer Philip Ackroyd Taverner (155792) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
In a PoW report Sergeant Norman stated “During the whole period of the action Parker did not speak from his position in the aircraft. A few minutes later the Captain ordered abandon, and he repeatedly called Parker a number of time but got no reply. From my position in the plane I could not determine what condition Parker was in.” Sergeant Dunbabin stated “During the incident we received no word from Parker which was highly unusual under the circumstances. I am unable to say whether he was killed or wounded. Informed by the Germans that Parker had been killed.”
Sergeant Spence stated “I believe Parker was killed but have no proof. When our aircraft was hit we called him up on the intercom but there was no answer, and unfortunately we did not have time to go and see what was wrong.”
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, 166/32/214