LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Wallace Patrick BURTON
Service No: 432748
Born: Marrickville NSW, 13 September 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 30 January 1943
Unit: No. 186 Squadron (RAF), RAF Tuddenham, Norfolk
Died: Air Operations (No. 186 Squadron Lancaster aircraft HK622), Germany, 20 November 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Page Graves Burton and Marion Jessie Burton, of Eastwood, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Eastwood NSW
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Eastwood War Memorial, Eastwood NSW
Lancaster HK622 took off from RAF Tuddenham at 1237 hours on the 20th November1944, detailed to bomb Homberg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research & Enquiry team reported later: “The aircraft was shot down by heavy anti-aircraft fire and exploded in the air at Baerl, 4 to 5 kms north east of Moers at 1515 hours on 20th November.” All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of HK622 were:
Flight Sergeant Wallace Patrick Burton (432748) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Herbert Keith Coombe (433197) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Arthur Ernest Piggin (976406) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Warrant Officer Arthur Edward Jarvis Stiles (423349) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Henry Turner (1458457) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Lieutenant George Edward Williamson DFC (426933) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Edward Winton (153353) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
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, 166/6/817
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line