LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant James John CAMPBELL
Service No: 417335
Born: Naracoorte SA, 1 January 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 April 1942
Unit: No. 9 Squadron (RAF), RAF Bardney, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 9 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED654), Germany, 21 February 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Durnbach War Cemetery, Bad Tolz, Bayern, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ian Roy and Margaret Rhoda Campbell, of Naracoorte, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Naracoorte SA
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster ED654 took off from RAF Bardney at 2338 hours on the night of 20/21st February, 1944 to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Post war it was established that the aircraft crashed at Burgholz some 3 kms east of Weizheim, and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of ED654 were:
Flight Sergeant James John Campbell (417335) (Rear Gunner)
Pilot Officer William John Chambers (157673) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant William Edward Haywood (1802564) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Technical Sergeant J J Hannon (10602608) (USAAF) (Bomb Aimer)
Warrant Officer James Braithwaite Mandall (960800) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Illtyd Melville Mulcuck (1312876) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Arthur Llewellyn Steward (1874038) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
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, 166/7/418