LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Percival Valentine BASHFORD
Service No: 414881
Born: Toowoomba QLD, 14 February 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 142 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 142 Squadron Wellington aircraft HE815), Italy, 24 February 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Bari War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Edward George and Martha Kitchenham Bashford
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1806 hours on 24 February 1944 Wellington HE815 took off on operations detailed to attack the Daimler Puch A G Aircraft Works at Steyr, Austria. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Ariano Irpimo, Italy, in position 41.15 N, 015.55 E. Three crew members were killed and two injured in the crash.
The crew members of HE815 were:
Flight Sergeant Percival Valentine Bashford (414881) (Pilot)
Sergeant W J Borton (2216276) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) Injured
Sergeant Geoffrey Anthony Conway Coldridge (573067) (RAF) (Navigator) Injured, Killed on Air Operations: 7 July 1944
Flight Sergeant Francis John Everett (1315675) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Peter Kennedy (410672) (Wireless Operator Air)
Sergeant Borton in a later statement reported: “the aircraft developed engine trouble on the port motor before reaching the target and the Captain decided to return to base. Bombs were jettisoned in the sea, and 15 minutes before ETA signal lights were seen, the aircraft broke cloud at 2000 feet and crashed a few seconds later.” A report on the file states: “the aircraft developed magneto trouble port motor before reaching the target returned to base bombs jettisoned in sea 15 minutes before ETA lights seen aircraft broke cloud at 2000 feet and crashed few seconds later.”
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, 166/5/450