LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Henry Rex Henry WEDD DFC
Service No: 408200
Born: Gormanston TAS, 18 January 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 March 1941
Unit: No. 156 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Warboys
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 8 May 1945
Died: Air Operations (No. 156 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JA674), Germany, 20 December 1943, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Hanover War Cemetery, Niedersachsen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John and Bridget Delia Wedd, of Lenah Valley, Tasmania, Australia
Roll of Honour: Hobart TAS
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
The Citation for the DFC awarded to Flight Lieutenant Wedd of No. 156 Squadron RAF is a General Citation promulgated in the London Gazette on 8 May 1945, page 2417.
At 1715 hours on the night of 20 December 1943 Lancaster JA674 took off from RAF Warboys detailed to bomb Frankfurt, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was lost and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of JA674 were:
Warrant Officer William Liness Charles Hickling DFC (400433) (Rear Gunner)
Warrant Officer Cyril William Knox DFC (22170) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Lieutenant George Bruce Loder DFC (412160) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant George Edward Mason DFM (1007560) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Eric Whitby Ritchie DFC (412189) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Michael Acton Sullivan DFC (414697) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Rex Henry Wedd DFC (408200) (Air Bomber)
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, 166/43/459