LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Sidney Richard STEAD
Service No: 421472
Born: Arncliffe NSW, 15 November 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 February 1942
Unit: No. 624 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 624 Squadron Halifax aircraft JN960), off the south coast of France, 27 April 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Sidney Samuel and Grace Hilda Stead, of Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 16, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2245 hours on 26 April 1944, Halifax JN960 took off from Blida on Special Operations Executive mission Prettytoes with a drop zone in the high valley of the Aude. Enroute, the aircraft was shot down by antiaircraft fire off Lecaute Plage and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of JN960 were:
Sergeant David Gemmell (1821213) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) Remains recovered
Flight Sergeant William Houghton (1452281) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flying Officer George Joffre Huddart (J21570) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Eric Furlow Hudson (1458087) (RAFVR)
Sergeant Andrew John Mitchell (1822273) (RAFVR)
Pilot Officer Sidney Richard Stead (421472) (Navigator)
Sergeant Kenneth Norman Ward (1492011) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) Remains recovered
Five of these members are unrecovered and two are buried in cemeteries in southern France.
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, STEAD S R
Website: LostAircraft.com