LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Mervyn William STANLEY
Service No: 403833
Born: Currabubula NSW, 25 September 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941
Unit: No. 148 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident: (No. 148 Squadron Wellington aircraft DV603), near Kabrit, 7 July 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Fayid War Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Reginald and Petronella Stanley; husband of Ann Stanley, of Abermain, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Abermain NSW
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0120 hours on the morning of 7 July 1942 Wellington DV603 took off from Kabrit and immediately afterwards crashed at the edge of Bitter Lake. Owing to the darkness the accident was not witnessed and the damage to the aircraft was such that it was not possible to determine the cause of the accident. All on board the aircraft were killed except the Rear Gunner who was thrown clear in the accident, with his head above the water, but trapped in the wreck for some three hours before being rescued.
The crew members of DV603 were:
Sergeant Harry Willis Brayshaw (1253870) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant John Gordon Fry (1215805) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Clifford Handley (1100624) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Alexander Rae (1112951) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
Sergeant J A Robinson (778660) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) Rescued
Sergeant Mervyn William Stanley (403833) (Wireless Air 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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/163/433