LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Albert Henry Charles BATES
Service No: 403088
Born: Sydney NSW, 23 October 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 December 1940
Unit: No. 1651 Conversion Unit (RAF), RAF Station Oakington
Died: Air Operations (No. 7 Squadron Stirling aircraft W7565), Germany, 29 July 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Becklingen War Cemetery, Soltau, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert William and Bessie Bates; husband of Lorna Ethel Bates, of Enfield, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Erskineville NSW
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2229 hours on the night of 28 July 1942 Stirling W7565 took off from Oakington detailed to attack Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire that wrecked the starboard inner engine and it was later shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Aschmoehor. Four crew members were killed and three became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of W7565 were:
Sergeant Albert Henry Charles Bates (403088) (Wireless Air Gunner) *
Sergeant John Boyle (404931) (Observer) *
Warrant Officer C F Carter (650146) (RAF) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Sergeant A L Crockford (1218535) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot) PoW
Sergeant Frank Lethbridge McIntyre (401389) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer L R Sidwell (117944) (RAF) (Rear Gunner) PoW
Flight Lieutenant Douglas Weston Whiteman (41809) (RAF) (Pilot)
* Members of 1651 Conversion Unit Oakington.
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 A9301, 403088