LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Lindon Frederick Beves BARRETT
Service No: 422922
Born: Manly NSW, 5 May 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 15 June 1942
Unit: No. 466 Squadron, RAF Station Driffield, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 466 Squadron Halifax aircraft NP969), Germany, 16 January 1945, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick William and Vera Elaine Barrett, of Coogee, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 110, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Manly ANZAC War Memorial, Manly NSW
Brother of Flight Sergeant Alwyn Walter Beves Barrett (421233)
Magdeburg suffered its second full-scale raid by Bomber Command on 16th-17th January when a force mainly composed of Halifaxes (including 16 of No. 466) attacked in bad weather.
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 405
Halifax NP969 took off from RAF Driffield at 1847 hours on the night of 16 January 1945 to bomb Magdeburg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Post war a Missing Research and Enquiry unit reported that the aircraft crashed at Olvenstedt, 4 kms north west of Madgeburg. German documents recorded that the aircraft exploded in mid air at 2145 hours on the 16 January 1945.
The crew members of NP969 were:
Flying Officer Lindon Frederick Beves Barrett (422922) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Henry Frank King (1585195) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Frank William Lee (1260515) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant William Ernest Charles Mount (1893187) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Jack Powell (1659641) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant William Thomas Simpson (424609) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant C F White (1601088) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
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
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/5/897
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line