LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Jack Edward WOODLEY
Service No: 411625
Born: Bowral NSW, 5 March 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 24 May 1941
Unit: No. 131 Squadron (RAF) RAF Station Culmhead
Died: Air Operations: (No. 131 Squadron Spitfire aircraft MB883), Northern France, 7 June 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur William and Rosa Woodey, of Bowral, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Bowral NSW
Remembered: Panel 259, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Spitfire MB383 flown by Warrant Officer Woodley was last seen on a Squadron mission east of Morlaix, France. In a statement by Flight Lieutenant Beadman (RAF) he reported: “on the morning of 7 June 1944 I was flying in a section of 4 aircraft as No. 3 with Warrant Officer Woodley flying No 4. The formation was flying east to west between St Briens and Morlaix, France, with the object of shooting up railway engines and other military targets. Woodley was flying quite close to my port side, and was in view except on occasions when an attack was made and then the section was in loose line astern, Woodley being the last to attack. During an attack on a train I noticed tracer coming up from the ground which passed under my wings. The Flight Commander called up on radio as a safety check for myself and Woodley but there was no reply from Woodley. This was the last occasion I saw him. During a later attack on a train, I noticed return fire at someone behind me but whether or not it was Woodley I am unable to say. I heard nothing on the radio to say he had been hit”. In 1949 it was recorded that Warrant Officer Woodley had no known grave.
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, 166/44/141