LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Wilson George BLESSING
Service No: 402219
Born: Glen Innes NSW, 28 August 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 22 July 1940
Unit: No. 272 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 272 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft T4829), Eastern Mediterranean, 15 June 1942, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Walter Clinton Blessing and Elizabeth Mary Blessing, of Braidwood, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Braidwood NSW
Remembered: Column 266, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Braidwood and District War Memorial, Braidwood NSW
Brother of Squadron Leader William Walter Blessing DSO DFC (404648)
At 0630 hours on 15 June 1942 Beaufighter T4829 took off detailed to carry out a convoy escort in the Eastern Mediterranean south of Greece. The aircraft was last seen heading towards the convoy and as far as can be ascertained it was not seen again. There was no evidence to show why the aircraft had not returned and it was assumed that the aircraft and crew had been lost through enemy action. It was recorded in 1948 that the missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of T4829 were:
Sergeant Wilson George Blessing (402219) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Raymond Williams (924223) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Observer)
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, 163/92/150
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line