LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Donald George Wentworth BROWN
Service No: 420436
Born: Lane Cove NSW, 30 June 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 November 1941
Unit: No. 9 Squadron (RAF), RAF Bardney, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 9 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM221), France, 13 July 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Cour L’Eveque Churchyard, Haute-Marne, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Wentworth Brown and Elcey Brown, of Lane Cove, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Lane Cove NSW
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
Lancaster LM221 took off from RAF Bardney at 2159 hours on the night of 12/13th July 1944 to bomb the railway junction at Culmont, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Post war it was established that the aircraft crashed at Cour L’Eveque on the east bank of the Aujon. Cour L’Eveque is a village 28 kms south of Chaumont.
The crew members of LM221 were:
Flying Officer John Frederick Armstrong (J/24240) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Donald George Wentworth Brown (420436) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Allan Fleming Grieve (1822215) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer William Alfred Martin Hallett (J/85794) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Malcolm Henry Payne (417512) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Frank Everett Shaw (1332113) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Allen Douglas Tagget (421769) (Air Gunner)
A Memorial Stone on the spot where the aircraft crashed was erected by the citizens of Arc-en-Barrois, France in memory of the crew. A Memorial service and unveiling took place on 21 July 1966.
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, 166/6/614
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line