LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Neville Vincent RYAN
Service No: 422812
Born: Wellington NSW, 23 April 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 May 1942
Unit: No. 220 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident: (No. 220 Squadron Liberator aircraft KG913), Azores, 8 March 1945, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Lajes War Cemetery, Azores
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas V. Ryan and Amy Z. Ryan, of Marrickville, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Marrickville NSW
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Manilla and District Soldiers Memorial Hall, Manilla NSW
On 8 March 1945 Liberator KG913 took off from Lajes, Azores, detailed to carry out an air sea rescue mission. The starboard outer propeller struck the runway during take-off. This caused the aircraft to swing violently to the right and the aircraft crashed in flames before the pilot had time to regain control. Two of the crew were seriously injured in the crash and the others were killed. On this flight Warrant Officer Ryan had volunteered to take the place of a sick Wireless Operator.
The crew members of KG913 were:
Flight Sergeant Leslie John Bence (1159989) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Alan Dowson Dodd (1671632) (RAFVR) (Second Navigator)
Flight Sergeant H R Dobbie (R/223182) (RCAF) (Wireless Operator Air) Seriously Injured
Flight Sergeant Frederick Charles Dorey Evans (1605452) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Ronald George Herring (1895730) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Harry Demerse Laronde (J36819) (RCAF) (First Navigator)
Flying Officer Ian Lindsay Munce (186936) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant George Arthur Reeve (3006273) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Neville Vincent Ryan (422812) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant E E Smith (1533556) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air) Seriously Injured
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, 166/36/502
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Jay, Alwyn, Endurance; Coastal Command Liberator Operations 1941-5, Banner Books, Maryborough QLD, 4650, 1996