LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Jack Oliphant WILSON
Service No: 413329
Born: Scone NSW, 18 October 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 August 1941
Unit: No. 15 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Mildenhall
Died: Air Operations: (No. 15 Squadron Stirling aircraft BK611), Netherlands, 26 May 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Jonkerbos War Cemetery, Locality Gelderland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert Arthur and Mabel Annie Wilson, of Rose Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2356 hours on the night of 25 May 1943 Stirling BK611 took off Mildenhall to bomb Dusseldorf, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was hit by flak at 0132 hours when south west of the target and the bombs were jettisoned two minutes later. In the confusion Sergeant Seabolt baled out. Course for base was set but at 0215 hours but Stirling crash landed some 8 kms north west of Venlo, Netherlands. Three crew members were killed in the crash and the other three became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of BK611 were:
Sergeant Patrick Arnott (133984) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Pilot Officer B E Cooper (130589) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Sergeant A W Edgeley (1104451) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) Evaded, PoW: 9 July 1943
Sergeant S J Maxted (1333008) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) Evaded, PoW: 9 July 1943
Sergeant Ronald William Pittard (1387554) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant E I Seabolt (R/121828) (RCAF) (Air Gunner) PoW
Flight Sergeant Jack Oliphant Wilson (413329) (Pilot)
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 A9301, 413329