LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Mervyn Sylvester FLETCHER DFC
Service No: 402074
Born: Mungindi NSW, 29 October 1911
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 May 1940
Unit: No. 156 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Warboys
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 8 May 1945
Died: Air Operations: (No. 156 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB703), Germany, 2 January 1944, Aged 32 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Sidney John and Emmie Fletcher, of Mungindi, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Mungindi NSW
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
The Citation for the DFC awarded to Flight Lieutenant Fletcher is a General Citation promulgated in London Gazette on 8 May 1945 on page 2417.
At 0033 hours on the morning 2 January 1944 Lancaster JB703 took off from Warboys detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was lost and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of JB703 were:
Flight Lieutenant Mervyn Sylvester Fletcher DFC (402074) (Air Bomber)
Pilot Officer Christopher Mark Handley DFC (156428) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Cyril Frank Horner DFC (123859) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Raymond John Hudson (1500264) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Dennis Arthur Mills DFM (1590562) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Squadron Leader Ronald George Falconar Stewart DFC (145856) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Frederick Thorington (1294394) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
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, 166/13/165