LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Richard EMONSON
Service No: 430484
Born: Bendigo VIC, 26 October 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 29 January 1943
Unit: No. 467 Squadron, RAF Station Waddington, Lincolnshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 467 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NF908), Staffordshire, 3 January 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, Cheshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Keith Glanfield Emonson and Alice Muriel Emonson, of Caulfield, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Bendigo VIC
Remembered: Panel 110, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster NF908 took off from RAF Waddington at 1430 hours on 3 January 1945 on a fighter affiliation training exercise. At about 1600 hours the aircraft flew into high ground that was shrouded in cloud some 4 kms north north east of Leek, Staffordshire. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of NF908 were:
Flying Officer Walter Vernon Wilfred Allamby (428516) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Geoffrey James Dunbar (424391) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Richard Emonson (430484) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Norman Lees (2218806) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Lieutenant Jack Ivan Pritchard (421047) (Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Cleveland Charles Watson (434547) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Thomas Edward Harold Wright (430728) (Air 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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/12/143