LEST WE FORGET
Aircraft Accident (No. 458 Squadron Wellington aircraft HX726), Malta, 13 February 1943
At Page 97 of We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron the following is stated “on 12 February (1943) Pilot Officer Gleason and his crew overshot the runway and were killed in a quarry.”
Those crew members of HX726 were:
Sergeant Eric Ansell Brown (1289528) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Warrant Officer II Peter Edwyn Elkford Brown (R/92308) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Lawrence Harry Gleason (J/17063) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Maurice McAllister Kempton (J/9516) (RCAF) (Observer)
Sergeant Harold Ernest Stanley (R/91441) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
The Commonwealth War Graves record the date of death of the above No. 458 members as 13 February 1943. They are buried in the Malta (Capuccini) Naval Cemetery, Malta. It is not known whether there were other members on board who survived.
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
Bibliography:
Alexander, P. (Peter) We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron, The 458 Squadron Council, 1959