LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant William Wrixon BOYLSON DFC & Bar
Service No: 404623
Born: Wagga Wagga NSW, 6 October 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1940 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 139 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Upwood
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 9 February 1943
Awarded the Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross, 11 June 1943
Died: Air Operations: (No. 139 Squadron Mosquito aircraft KB329), North West Europe, 25 June 1944, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Joseph Patrick and Gertrude Alice Boylson; husband of Joyce Mary Boylson, of Guildford, Surrey
Roll of Honour: Forbes NSW
Remembered: Panel 256, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
DFC Citation: This officer has completed a large number of operational sorties in heavy bomber aircraft and throughout he has displayed a high standard of efficiency and courage. He is an excellent operational pilot who has repeatedly accomplished his missions successfully, pressing home his attacks on targets in Germany and Italy in the face of heavy opposition. His personal example has been responsible for the high efficiency maintained by his crew. (London Gazette 9 February 1943 page 702)
Bar to DFC Citation: This officer has successfully completed operations over a long period. He is a most determined captain of aircraft who has set a high standard of courage and devotion to duty that is outstanding. Since being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, Flight Lieutenant Boylson has participated in numerous sorties (London Gazette 11 June 1943 page 2678).
At 2324 hours on the night of 24/ June 1944 Mosquito KB329 took off from RAF Upwood in company with nine other aircraft of the Squadron to carry out an attack on Berlin. The aircraft was not seen or heard from after take off and failed to return to base.
The crew members of KN329 were:
Flight Lieutenant William Wrixon Boylson DFC & Bar (404623) (Pilot)
Squadron Leader George Heath Wilson DSO DFC (123621) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
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, 163/24/300