LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Malcolm Ernest COLLETT
Service No: 416414
Born: Perth WA, 2 March 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 June 1941 (at Adelaide SA)
Unit: No. 114 Squadron (RAF), Marcainaise, Italy
Died: Air Operations (No. 114 Squadron Boston aircraft BZ228), Italy, 22 May 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Caserta War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ernest Budd Collett and Kathleen Mary Collett, of Burnside, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Boston BZ228 on 22nd May 1944 was detailed to carry out an armed reconnaissance along a road east of Rome. At 10.19 am a report was received from the aircraft saying that it was returning early due to bad weather over the target area. At 1120 hours the aircraft was in the circuit area and at 1149hours was given permission to land. At the time there was a severe electrical storm and nothing more was seen of the aircraft until there was a violent flash and explosion which occurred about 3 miles south west of Marcianise. All the crew members were killed in the crash.
The crew members of BZ228 were:
Flying Officer Malcolm Ernest Collett (416414) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Paul Martin Couturier (1575420) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Henry Maengwyn Hughes (1330658) (RAFVR) (Navigator-Bomb Aimer)
Flying Officer Thaddeus John Bernard Zadworny (J/15816) (RCAF) (Pilot)
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, 166/8/478