LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Anthony James CANTWELL
Service No: 429922
Born: Walkerville SA, 12 May 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 10 October 1942
Unit: No. 29 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Bruntingthorpe, Leicestershire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 29 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft LF342), Yorkshire, 28 September 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Yorkshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward and Catherine Cantwell, of Walkerville, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Walkerville 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
On the 28th September 1944, Wellington LF342 took off from RAF Bruntingthorpe at 1925 hours, for a four hour evening cross-country exercise. A normal position report was received at 2024 hours. The aircraft came apart while in a dive, and crashed at 2035 hours at Branton near Finningley airfield. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of LF342 were:
Flight Sergeant Anthony James Cantwell (429922) (Pilot)
Sergeant James Edward Conchie (2235489) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Neil Graham (1868113) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Cecil Ralph Gollop (1566258) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Jeffrey Noel Smith (432577) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Maxwell Woodhead (1580619) (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, 166/7/656