LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Charles Herbert THOMPSON
Service No: 403981
Born: Sydney NSW, 20 June 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 March 1941
Unit: No. 408 Squadron (RCAF), RAF Station Balderton
Died: Air Operations: (No. 408 Squadron Hampden aircraft P1244), Germany, 28 August 1942, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Hanover War Cemetery, Niedersachsen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles and Elsa Thompson, of Alexandria, New South Wales. Australia
Roll of Honour: Alexandria NSW
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2005 hours on the night of 27/28 August 1942, Hampden P1244 took off from Balderton detailed to carry out a bombing operation against Kassel, Germany. The aircraft was due to return from the mission at 0230 hours on 28 August 1942, but the aircraft failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry team later reported that “the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed exploding on impact in the village of Istham, which is 11 miles west of Kassel.”
The crew members of P1244 were:
Warrant Officer II Lionel Greer Chaston (R/77559) (RCAF) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant Athol Heath Jennings (1365432) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Charles Herbert Thompson (403981) (First Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John William Todd (1074252) (RAFVR) (Second 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, 163/166/241