LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Craig Sloan THOMSON
Service No: 411408
Born: Sydney NSW, 8 June 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 April 1941
Unit: No. 464 Squadron, RAF Station Feltwell, Norfolk
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 464 Squadron Ventura aircraft AE737), Suffolk, 4 November 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Rutherglen Cemetery, Lanarkshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert and Mary Thomson, of Granville, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Wyong NSW
Remembered: Panel 109, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Concord War Memorial, Concord NSW
Ventura AE737 took off from RAF Feltwell, Norfolk, at 1230 hours on 4 November 1942 to carry out a daytime training exercise. The aircraft was doing a circuit of the aerodrome after the exercise and crashed at 1445 hours in a field at Stallode Fen near Lakenheath, Suffolk. There was no apparent cause for the crash with the machine exploding and burning on impact. The crew of four and the extra gunner were killed. This was the Squadron’s first fatal accident.
The crew members of AE737 were:
Flight Lieutenant Maurice Ivan Dore (78438) (RAF) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer Thomas Henry Martin (751681) (RAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Herbert Philip Painting (1600343) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Frederick Palmer (755739) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Craig Sloan Thomson (411408) (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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/166/289
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Lax, M. (Mark) and Leon Kane-Maguire The Gestapo Hunters: 464 Squadron RAAF 1942-5, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 1999