LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John Edwin CORLIS
Service No: 412490
Born: East Maitland NSW, 19 May 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1941
Unit: No. 218 Squadron (RAF), RAF Methwold, Norfolk
Died: Air Operations (No. 218 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NF906), Germany, 12 September 1944, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Bad Tolz, Bayern, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John and Rhoda Ellen Corlis, of Garah, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Garah NSW
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Moree War Memorial Hall – World War II Honour Roll, Moree NSW
Lancaster NF906 took off from RAF Methwold at 1847 hours on the night of 12/13th September 1944, detailed to bomb Frankfurt, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed near Bad Homburg vor der Hohe on 12th September 1944, and all the crew were killed.
The crew members of NF906 were:
Pilot Officer Henry Wales Blacklock (183893) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer John Edwin Corlis (412490) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Randall Fawcett (1439138) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Harry Hardy (1684385) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant James Harrison (1173702) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Douglas Kedward (1535168) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Donald Robertson (1520557) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
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, 166/8/637
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line