LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Charles Richard TOWNSEND
Service No: 406964
Born: Maylands WA, 15 July 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 May 1941
Unit: No. 199 Squadron (RAF), RAF Ingham, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 199 Squadron Wellington aircraft HZ163), North Sea, 13 March 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles George and Ellen Townsend, of Bassendean, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Bassendean WA
Remembered: Panel 197, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Wellington HZ263 of 199 Squadron took off from RAF Ingham at 1938 hours on the night of 12 March 1943 to attack Essen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. The body of Sergeant Edwards was washed ashore the coast of Holland, some 20 miles north of Haarlem, and is interred in the Bergen General Cemetery. It was recorded in 1949 that the remaining missing member of the crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of HZ163 were:
Flight Sergeant Russell Irwin Edwards (R/153973) (RCAF) (Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant William John King (41712) (RAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Douglas Arthur Nunn (1160293) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Charles Richard Townsend (406964) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Cyril Frank White (1312741) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
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, 66/40/16