LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Gilbert Gordon FRASER
Service No: 14065
Born: Aberdeen, Scotland, 8 March 1910
Enlisted in the RAAF: 4 March 1940 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 57 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Scampton, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 57 Squadron Lancaster aircraft W4251), Italy, 24 October 1942, Aged 32 Years
Buried: Ravenna War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward and Jessie Fraser; husband of Annie Isabella Geddes Fraser, of Gladesville, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster W4251 took off from RAF Scampton at hours 1233 hours on 24 October 1942 detailed to bomb Milan, Italy. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was lost over Italy and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of W4251 were:
Sergeant Gilbert Gordon Fraser (14065) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer William Caldwell Hamilton (J/10176) (RCAF) (Observer)
Sergeant Arthur Francis Heffernan (1033069) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer John Thomas Norie Miles (116729) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Herbert Blatch Smith (798655) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph Gordon Taylor (1036176) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Walter John Wakelin (1389383) (RAFVR) (Rear 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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9310, 14065