LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John William BRADY
Service No: 423280
Born: County Clare, Ireland, 5 June 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1942 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 625 Squadron (RAF), RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 625 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM691), Germany, 23 October 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Hotton War Cemetery, Hotton, Luxembourg, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Patrick and Grace Brady, of Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Kogarah NSW
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the 23rd October 1944, Lancaster LM691 took off from RAF Kelstern, at 1631 hours, detailed to bomb Essen, Germany. Nothing was heard form the aircraft after take of and it failed to return to base. While returning to base after the mission Lancaster LM 691 was involved in a mid air collision with No. 462 Squadron Halifax LL599 (Flying Officer Frank Edward Nelder (419561) (Pilot)) and both machines exploded, and crashed scattering wreckage over a field south east of Aachen.
The crew members of LM691 were:
Flying Officer John William Brady (423280) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant John George Durham (1592562) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Squadron Leader C W C Hamilton (88647) (RAFVR) (Pilot) Baled Out, Safe
Flying Officer Geoffrey Laing (152788) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Harry Martin DFM (1183487) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Isaac Lynas Murdoch (1896046) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Victor Stringer (1874823) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/6/751