LEST WE FORGET
Air Operations (No. 464 Squadron Mosquito aircraft PZ259), Germany, 8 March 1945
Mosquito PZ259 took off from RAF Rosiere en Santerre, France, at 1955 hours on the night of 8/9th March 1945, as part of a force of 12 aircraft from the Squadron detailed to bomb and strafe rail and road targets ahead of the advancing American forces in the Rhine area, Germany. PZ259 failed to return from the mission and it was later learned that both crew members had been killed and are buried in the Hanover War Cemetery.
The crew members of PZ259 were:
Sergeant Sidney Arthur Ancell (1802572) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Lieutenant Alexander Charles Stark (48313) (RAFVR) (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
Bibliography:
Lax, M. (Mark) and Leon Kane-Maguire The Gestapo Hunters: 464 Squadron RAAF 1942-5, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 1999
Vincent, D. (David) Mosquito Monograph: A history of Mosquitoes in Australia and RAAF operations, David Vincent Highbury SA 5089, 1982