LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Brian Phillip BOYLE
Service No: 424729
Born: Burwood NSW, 29 April 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 103 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Elsham Wolds
Died: Air Operations (No. 103 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB736), Germany, 31 March 1944, Aged 19 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward Phillip and Eileen Margaret Boyle, of North Curl Curl, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Manly NSW
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster JB736 took off from Elsham Wolds at 2116 hours on the night of 30 March 1944 detailed to bomb Nuremburg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. On the outward flight the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed north east of Bilkheim at 0100 hours on 31 March. The village of Bilkheim is 8kms south south west of Westerburg. Six of the crew members were killed and one became a Prisoner of War.
The crew members of JB736 were:
Flight Sergeant Brian Phillip Boyle (424729) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer John Christopher Patrick Doyle (137611) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer Joseph Jean Andre Ducharme (J/23906) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant F Fealy (1590719) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner) PoW
Sergeant William James Gwynne (1566687) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer James Guy Johnston (135076) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Gordon Thomson (1097466) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Fealy later reported “the aircraft was hit and communications between self and the rest of the crew was cut. As I made my way to the next communication point, the aircraft lurched and finally dived. It depended on my own initiative whether I should bale out, which I did through a hole in the bottom of the aircraft. Estimated height was 5/8000 feet. I believe none of the others baled out.”
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, 166/6/466
Bibliography:
Charlwood, D.E.C. (Donald Ernest Cameron) (408794) No Moon Tonight (Angus and Robertson 1956), Penguin Ringwood VIC, 3134, 1991