LEST WE FORGET

Pilot Officer Colin Frazer BLUNDELL

Service No: 411116
Born: Petersham NSW, 8 September 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1941
Unit: No. 35 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Graveley
Died: Air Operations (No. 35 Squadron Halifax aircraft LV861), Netherlands, 15 February 1944, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Diepenveen General Cemetery, Overijssel, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Howell Blundell and Augusta Blundell, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Lane Cove NSW
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Brother of Flight Lieutenant Kenneth William Frazer Blundell (260777)

At 1736 hours on the night of 15 February 1944 Halifax LV861 took off from Graveley to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft and it failed to return to base. It was later established that the aircraft crashed at 2300 hours at Tjoene in the Dutch province of Overijssel, 4 kms north north west of Deventer. Four of the crew members were killed and three evaded capture.

The crew members of LV861 were:

Warrant Officer A W Bennett DFC (1379973) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer) Evaded capture
Pilot Officer Colin Fraser Blundell (411116) (Pilot)
Sergeant Raymond Valentine Montigue Daniels (962812) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Leslie Albert Hazell (918657) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant R Moreton (1332943) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air) Evaded capture
Flight Sergeant Jeffrey Eugene Pogonowski (418011) (Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant P B O Ranalow (130989) (RAFVR) (Navigator) Evaded capture

Warrant Officer Bennett who was assisted by the Dutch Underground forces to evade capture stated “the aircraft was hit on the return journey and set on fire. The order to jump was given. The aircraft must have crashed and probably exploded in mid-air.”

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, 166/5/437

Book Now Book Now