LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Wilfred John CARROLL
Service No: 400237
Born: Melbourne VIC, 12 October 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 July 1940
Unit: No. 148 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 148 Squadron Wellington aircraft W5584), off the Greek Coast, 19 January 1942, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Joseph Richard and Olive Carroll
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 263, Alamein Memorial, Egypt
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 19 January 1942 Wellington W5584 took off at night to bomb Salamis, Greece, and failed to return. An Italian broadcast on 21 January 1942 stated that an aircraft had been shot down over Elevsis on 19 January 1942. A report on interrogations of local residents after the war and investigations carried out in Elevsis and Salamis areas state that an aircraft was shot down and crashed into the sea 2 miles south of Elevsis on 19 January 1942. It also stated that the Germans made a search of the area and could find no trace of the aircraft or crew. Elevsis is on the coast approximately 10 miles north west of Athens, whilst Salamis is six miles south west of Elevsis on the island of Kuluri. It was assumed that the aircraft crashed in the sea near Elevsis and that the crew members were lost at sea.
The crew members of W5584 were:
Squadron Leader Maurice Eldon Abbott DFC (40167) (RAF) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Wilfred John Carroll (400237) (Observer)
Sergeant Ieuan Tom James (1181333) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Harold Thomas McGrath (R/50216) (RCAF) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Herbert Reville Merry (104342) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant John Albert Sellars (1000577) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air 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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/25/104