78 Squadron's Handley Page Halifax BIII (#LW517) bomber aircraft, with an aircrew of seven, took off from RAF Beighton for a night air operation over the railway facilities in Le Mans, France. LW517 was hit by enemy flak in the target area, resulting in its crashing and taking the lives of five members of its crew. The other two airmen were captured, taken PoW.
The airmen who perished in this incident were-
RAFVR Sergeant Ernest BUCKLAND,
RAFVR Sergeant Allan CANTLE-JONES,
RAFVR Sergeant Douglas William McMILLAN and
RAAF Pilot Officer Kenneth Fred WITHERS.
Military Service-
Rank: Pilot Officer
Trade: Pilot/Captain
Service Number: 406893
Age: 24
Service: Royal Australian Air Force
Division: 78 RAF Squadron; RAF Breighton, Yorkshire
Son of George Frederick and Mary Withers of Kirup, Western Australia.
He is commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
78 Squadron's Handley Page Halifax BIII (#LW517) bomber aircraft, with an aircrew of seven, took off from RAF Beighton for a night air operation over the railway facilities in Le Mans, France. LW517 was hit by enemy flak in the target area, resulting in its crashing and taking the lives of five members of its crew. The other two airmen were captured, taken PoW.
The airmen who perished in this incident were-
RAFVR Sergeant Ernest BUCKLAND,
RAFVR Sergeant Allan CANTLE-JONES,
RAFVR Sergeant Douglas William McMILLAN and
RAAF Pilot Officer Kenneth Fred WITHERS.
Military Service-
Rank: Pilot Officer
Trade: Pilot/Captain
Service Number: 406893
Age: 24
Service: Royal Australian Air Force
Division: 78 RAF Squadron; RAF Breighton, Yorkshire
Son of George Frederick and Mary Withers of Kirup, Western Australia.
He is commemorated by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Inscription
(Epitaph...)
THE ETERNAL GOD
IS THY REFUGE
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