LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Bruce Lyndon BULS
Service No: 403129
Born: Petersham NSW, 18 August 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 December 1940
Unit: No. 461 Squadron, RAF Station Hamworthy, Dorset
Died: Air Operations (No. 461 Squadron Sunderland aircraft T9085), Western Approaches (North Atlantic), 21 January 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward Henry and Bessie Isabella Buls, of East Balmain, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 187, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 108, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Rathmines Memorial Bowling Club, Rathmines NSW
On 21 January 1943 Flight Lieutenant Buls and the crew of Sunderland T9085 went missing in bad weather over the Western Approaches. An unsuccessful search was made and a No. 279 Squadron RAF Hudson aircraft was lost during the search though the crew members parachuted to safety.
The crew members of T9085 were:
Pilot Officer Eric Bradley (138813) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator / Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Bruce Lyndon Buls (403129) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Hal Ian Comer Dent (411428) (Navigator / B)
Aircraftman Alexander Edward Elrick (30954) (Fitter II A)
Sergeant Percy Evans (1201919) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator / Air Gunner)
Sergeant Owen Stewart Filmer (403091) (Wireless Operator / Air Gunner)
Sergeant John William Joseph Gill (15186) (Fitter IIE / Air Gunner)
Sergeant Noel Henry Raybould Hart (404915) (Wireless Operator / Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Jack Henry Moore (411801) (Third Pilot)
Flying Officer Henry Lawrence Osborne (403600) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Roy Ambrose Stuart Tucker (6241) (Flight Engineer)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9186, 148 (No. 461 Squadron Operations Record Book)
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Ashworth, N. (Norman) The ANZAC Squadron: A history of No. 461 Squadron RAAF 1942-5, Hesperian Press Victoria Park WA 6100, 1994
Baff, K.C (Kevin), Maritime is Number Ten, K.C. Baff Netley SA, 1983
Joubert, P.B. (Sir Phillip Bennet) Birds and Fishes: the story of Coastal Command, Hutchinson and Company London, 1960
Southall, I.F. (Ivan Francis) (418900) They Shall Not Pass Unseen, Angus and Robertson Sydney NSW, 1956
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Anson, Hudson and Sunderland in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1992