LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Arthur Joseph GALLEY
Service No: 412004
Born: Redfern NSW, 16 July 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 June 1941
Unit: No. 464 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 464 Squadron Ventura aircraft AE937), English Channel area, 13 June 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George and Florence Galley; husband of Norah Josephine Galley, of Balmain, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 192, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 109, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Ventura AE937 took off from RAF Methwold at 0735 hours on 13 June 1943 to carry out a raid on the viaduct at St Brieuc, France. Twelve aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and AE937 failed to return. The Squadron aircraft were accompanied by five Squadrons of fighters. Low level was maintained by the formation to a point of climb when seven-tenths cloud caused the mission to be abandoned. A few minutes before five separate attacks were made from the rear on the second box resulting in AE937 being shot down. All the other Squadron returned safely.
The crew members of AE937 were:
Flight Sergeant Arthur Joseph Galley (412004) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Ernest Walter Goodheart (1376102) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Noel Andrew Patrick Kane-Maguire (405357) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant James Lawson (656112) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
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, 166/15/60
Bibliography:
Lax, M. (Mark) and Leon Kane-Maguire The Gestapo Hunters: 464 Squadron RAAF 1942-5, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 1999