LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Einar Ernest DUE
Service No: 404876
Born: Shanghai China, 14 February 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1940 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 12 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Wickenby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 12 Squadron Lancaster aircraft W5578), France, 25 March 1942, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Escoublac-La-Baule War Cemetery, Loire-Atlantique, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Leif and Blanche Fordham Due; husband of Golden Due, of Alpha, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Alpha QLD
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster W5578 took off from RAF Wickenby at 1823 hours on the night of 25/26 March 1942 to bomb the French port of St Nazaire. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. It was later learned that four of the crew members had been killed and two were Prisoners of War.
The crew members of W5578 were:
Sergeant Alister McGregor Currie MBE (407822) (Rear Gunner) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 26 November 1945
Sergeant Einar Ernest Due (404876) (Pilot)
Sergeant Robert Eric Greenwell (403170) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant John Henry Ives (910036) (RAFVR) (Front Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Timbury Alan Mayo (402968) (Observer) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 19 November 1945
Flight Sergeant Gordon John Sheahan (645419) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
In a later PoW report Flight Lieutenant Mayo stated “A few seconds after releasing the bombs and turning off target, the aircraft burst into flames coming from the bomb bay possibly caused by hung up flares, as flak was not noticed at that stage except light stuff lower down. The flames quickly spread and the abandon order was given. The intercom then packed up and the aircraft seemed to be diving out of control. Except for Currie, I was the first to bale out at approximately 15,000 feet and I believe the aircraft blew up almost immediately as I saw no sign of it after the chute opened. Parts of the aircraft were picked up by the Germans the next day in the Bay of La Baule. I joined up with Currie on the following day at a section of the Luftwaffe at St Nazaire. There was no sign of the rest of the crew after leaving the aircraft. Later I heard from the Red Cross that the bodies of the 4 others had been washed up and identified near St Nazaire. I landed in the water after baling out and had to swim ashore. Captured after reaching land. Released by Americans on 7 May 1945.”
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, 163/104/111