LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer William Archibald YOUNG
Service No: 417145
Born: Broken Hill NSW, 25 February 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941 (at Adelaide SA)
Unit: No. 44 Squadron (RAF), RAF Dunholme lodge, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 44 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ME699), France, 5 July 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Marissel French National Cemetery, Oise, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur Bromwell Young and Ellen May Young, of Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Broken Hill NSW
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster ME699 took off from RAF Dunholme Lodge at 2300 hours on the night of 4/5th July 1944 to bomb a flying bomb site at St-Leu-d’Esserent, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Six of the crew members were killed and two evaded capture.
The crew members of ME699 were:
Flying Officer Harold Braathen (J/27500) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Ronald Houseman (1591726) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Thomas Leslie Jackson (1681086) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant William Wilson Rennie (R/166835) (RCAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant W Robinson (1777532) (RAF) (Flight Engineer) Evaded capture
Flight Sergeant J E Wainwright (1453555) (RAF) (Air Bomber) Evaded capture
Flying Officer Frank Edward Wareham (134370) (RAF) (Navigator)
Flying Officer William Archibald Young (417145) (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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/45/59