LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Walter Vincent THURSTON
Service No: 422318
Born: Coonamble NSW, 3 July 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1942
Unit: No. 98 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Dunsfold
Died: Air Operations: (No. 98 Squadron Mitchell aircraft FW184), France, 11 June 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Banneville-La-Campagne War Cemetery, Calvados, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Matthew and Sara Thurston, of Mosman, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Mosman NSW
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At approximately 2236 hours on the night of 11 June 1944 Mitchell FW184 took off from Dunsfold to drop flares in support of Nos 138 and 140 Wings near Caen, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. It was later established that the aircraft crashed at Lavilllette, France. Three crew members were killed and one was safe.
The crew members of FW184 were:
Flight Sergeant Francis George Dean (1338362) (RAFVR) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Walter Ivan Girvin (J/92124) (RCAF) (Wireless Operator Air) Safe
Pilot Officer Walter Vincent Thurston (422318) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Arthur Ferdinand Zado (R/78871) (RCAF) (Air Gunner) Safe
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, 166/39/295