LEST WE FORGET

Flying Officer George Beith EDWARDS

Service No: 424830
Born: Killara NSW, 6 April 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 467 Squadron, RAF Station Waddington, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 467 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM205), France, 29 June 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Boffles Churchyard, Pas de Calais, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Clifford Hallam Edwards and Janet Agnes Rouse Edwards, of Carroll, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Gunnedah NSW
Remembered: Panel 110, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Gunnedah Cenotaph, Gunnedah NSW

No. 5 Group Raids by No. 460 against Siracourt and by Nos. 463 and 467 against another site on the 29th were both well executed, Flight Lieutenant Merrill (1) of No. 463 bringing home from the latter attack an excellent film of bombs bursting directly on the target!.

(1) Flight Lieutenant Frederick Lester Merrill DFC (416775) Discharged from the RAAF: 6 December 1945

Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 178

Lancaster LM205 took off from RAF Waddington at 1159 hours on 29th June 1944, to bomb a flying bomb supply site at Beauvoir, France. This was the first daylight mission of the Squadron. The bomb load 11 x 1000 lb (pound) (450kg) and 4 x 500 lb (225 kg) bombs. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Fourteen aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and one of these LM205 failed to return. Post war it was established that the aircraft was hit by flak at 18000 feet in the vicinity of Lille and set on fire. The aircraft was partially abandoned before it crashed between Boffles (Pas-de-Calais) and Aux-le-Chateau, 2 villages 17kms south west and 24kms south south west respectively from St Pol, France.

The crew members of LM205 were:

Flight Sergeant Thomas Edward Brummell (429213) (Air Gunner) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 23 November 1945
Flying Officer George Beith Edwards (424830) (Pilot)
Sergeant Henry Hamilton (1119701) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Sergeant Thomas Henry Leason (2221469) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) PoW
Flying Officer Henry Keith Nunn (422976) (Navigator) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 31 October 1945
Pilot Officer Henry John Francis Pridgett (187227) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Edward Skelding Wallace (424073) (Bomb Aimer) PoW, discharged from the RAAF: 23 November 1945

In a later report Flying Officer Nunn stated: “The aircraft was hit by flak in the fuselage and wing. WOP attempt to put out fire unsuccessful. Order given to put on chutes. I took out intercom to put chute on skipper. Given Signal by Skipper to bale out. Wallace and Pridgett went ahead of me. Edwards and Hamilton still in aircraft which was in and out of control all the time. Height approx 8-10000 feet. I saw one chute caught up in aircraft. Brummell, Wallace, Leason and self captured same night.”

Flight Sergeant Brummel reported “Aircraft hit by flak and on fire. Put on chutes ordered and acknowledged. Later order cancelled by Skipper. Aircraft went out of control. Abandon order given. Navigator and Bomb Aimer left aircraft. Engineer’s chute caught on aircraft. I baled out at 1500 feet. Mid Upper Leason crashed in plane. Hamilton jumped too late and hit ground before chute opened. Plane crashed close to village of Fortel, France. No idea what happened to Skipper. POW for 10 months from 29 June. Released by Russians when Stammlager 11A Camp liberated.”

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, 166/11/154
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line

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