LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Ulva Neil DUDLEY
Service No: 410222
Born: Numurkah VIC, 1 March 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 December 1941
Unit: No. 75 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 75 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft A29-1015), Celebes, 4 January 1945, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Charles and Elizabeth Dudley, of Tallygaroopna, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 8, Ambon Memorial, Indonesia
Remembered: Panel 103, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0651 hours on 4 January 1945, Kittyhawk A29-1015 (Orange 4) crashed three miles north east of Lake Tondano, Celebes, during a low level strafing road sweep of an area north of the lake. At 0630 hours, Flight Lieutenant Donald Edward Andrew (403301) (Discharged: 9 October 1945) flying as Orange 1, had completed an attack on a power installation in rising hilly country, with 8/10 thin cloud at 500 feet. He pulled out to the east and watched the Section carry out their attacks. At the same time he noticed light anti-aircraft fire. He ordered the Section out of the area and led Orange 2 and 3 back to the south. He last saw Orange 4 about 200 feet above the hills east of the formation. The aircraft was turning towards the north and no anti-aircraft fire was visible. When out of danger, Flight Lieutenant Andrew formed the Section up and Orange 4 was missing. The aircraft did not reply to radio calls. A search of the area was made but no trace was seen of the missing aircraft or pilot. Fifteen Beaufighters searched the area later in the day, along with other aircraft but all were unsuccessful. In 1946, natives said they had seen a single engine aircraft trailing smoke fly over their village of Makalisoeng, Tondano, and saw it crash in Kema Bay five miles from the shore.
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, 166/10/378; A9845, 169