LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Harvey GLASBY DFC
Service No: 414785
Born: Toowoomba QLD, 28 December 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941
Unit: No. 97 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Coningsby
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 30 June 1944
Died: Air Operations: (No. 97 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NE121), France, 30 July 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Bayeux War Cemetery, Calvados, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Joseph and Martha Glasby, of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Toowoomba QLD
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
DFC Citation: Pilot Officer Glasby has participated in many operational sorties against heavily defended targets in Germany including five attacks against Berlin. In October 1943, during an attack on Kassel, the mid upper gunner in the aircraft was taken ill. As this officer was assisting the gunner from his turret, an enemy fighter attacked the aircraft. It was largely owing to the accurate shooting of this officer that the attacker was driven off. Afterwards he showed skill and initiative in extinguishing a fire in the fuselage and repairing the damaged oxygen system which had been rendered useless. An outstanding wireless operator, this officer has proved a most valuable member of aircraft crew. (London Gazette 30 June 1944 Page 3090)
At 0545 hours on 30 July 1944 Lancaster NE121 took off from Coningsby to bomb enemy strong points at Cahagnes, France, in the Normandy battle zone. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The port inner engine was set on fire as a result of enemy action, and the blaze soon spread to engulf the entire port wing. The bale our order was given. The aircraft crashed around 0800 hours south east of St Lo in the Department of Manche, France. Six of the crew members were killed and three were taken prisoner.
The crew members of NE121 were:
Flight Lieutenant Hugh Anthony Ballantine Baker (116391) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Harvey Glasby DFC (414785) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Gerwyn Evan William Howells (160514) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
Warrant Officer Wilson Henry Hunter (941800) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Flight Sergeant Leonard Alfred Lenox DFM (1468946) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Sandiford Mitchell DFM (544389) (RAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Edmund Harry Frank Moore DFM (172292) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) PoW
Flying Officer James Wolstenholme Oldham DFM (155566) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Squadron Leader Peter Anderson Stevens DFC & Bar (415190) (Navigator) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 16 January 1946
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, 166/15/295