LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Ronald John CONLEY DFC
Service No: 425606
Born: Brisbane QLD, 25 October 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 25 April 1942
Unit: No. 97 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Coningsby
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 97 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ND739), English Channel, 6 June 1944, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of David Edward William and Elizabeth Ann Conley, of Annerley, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 256, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
DFC Citation: Flight Lieutenant Conley of No. 97 Squadron has completed in various capacities many successful operations against the enemy in which they have displayed high skill fortitude and devotion to duty.
On 6 June 1944 Lancaster ND739 took off from Coningsby to bomb a target near Cherbourg, France in the Second Front opening blow against the enemy. Enemy fighters were known to be operating over the target area. The pilot of the aircraft who was the Deputy Controller of the formation was in communication with other aircraft over the target but communications ceased in the middle of a sentence. It seems probable that the aircraft was shot down over the target area.
With no trace of the aircraft found, it was concluded that the aircraft and crew were lost at sea in the English Channel.
The crew members of ND739 were:
Squadron Leader Martin Bryan-Smith DFC & Bar MID (77103) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Wing Commander Edward James Carter DFC (70770) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Albert Chambers DFC & Bar (113350) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
Flight Lieutenant Ronald John Conley DFC (425606) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Guy Ernest Dunning DFM (174043) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Henry William Edward Jeffery DFM (159898) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Lieutenant Herbert William Rieger (J/12737) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
Pilot Officer Frank Raymond Watson DFM (177547) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/8/495