LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations: (No. 458 Squadron Wellington aircraft MP723), off Sicily, 16 September 1943
Wellington FU – K (MP723) took off from RAF Protville at 1821 hours on the night of 16 September 1943 to patrol an area from Civitavecchia to Savona Gorjona Islands thence Bastia and down the coasts of Corsica and Sardinia. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base.
The crew members of MP723 were:
Sergeant Edward James Cuming (1270898) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
Flying Officer Peter Rodney Driver (122475) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Geoffrey Holt (120970) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant George Rowland Potter (1270949) (RAFVR) (Special Equipment (Radar) Operator)
Sergeant Douglas Arthur Edward Salt (1207305) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) PoW
Sergeant Eric Leslie Wilson (1316300) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot) Likely PoW, Died 16 October 1943
The names of Flying Officer Driver, Flying Officer Holt and Sergeants Cuming and Potter are commemorated on the Malta Memorial as having no known grave. Flight Sergeant Wilson is buried in the Florence War Cemetery, Italy. Commonwealth War Graves records his date of death as 16 October 1943.
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
Bibliography:
Alexander, P. (Peter) We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron, The 458 Squadron Council, 1959