LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer William Carnduff RUSSELL
Service No: 10315
Born: Glasgow, Scotland, 25 April 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 May 1940 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 6 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 6 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit Oxford aircraft MM794), Oxfordshire, 21 April 1945, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Brown Russell and Janet Russell, of Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Geelong VIC
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0410 hours on the 21 April 1945, Oxford NM794 crashed at Highworth near Watchfield, during solo cross-country navigation exercise No. 11 of 63 minutes duration. The weather had deteriorated during the exercise, and the aircraft were recalled. NM794 failed to return to base, and overdue action was taken to search for the missing aircraft and 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 A705, 166/36/546