LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Athol Richard GRAINGER
Service No: 403169
Born: Maclean NSW, 16 September 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 December 1940
Unit: No. 207 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Langar
Died: Air Operations: (No. 207 Squadron Lancaster aircraft L7547) France, 15 February 1943, Aged 27 Years
Buried: St Brisson Communal Cemetery, Nievre, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Reynold Bede Grainger and Margaret Ann Grainger; husband of Margaret Rennie Cruikshanks Grainger, of Lismore, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Maclean NSW
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Maclean Cenotaph, Maclean NSW
At 1914 hours on the night of 14 February1943 Lancaster L7547 took off from Langar detailed to bomb Milan, Italy. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. When homeward bound the aircraft crashed at St-Brisson (Nievre), 11 kms west of Saulieu (Cote D’or) France. The cause of the crash was attributed to overheating in the engines which led to a fire in the port outer. Five of the crew members were killed and two evaded capture.
The crew members of L7547 were:
Sergeant Henry George Bone (1381738) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant S H Eyre (650325) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) Evaded capture
Flight Sergeant Athol Richard Grainger (403169) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Thomas William Strong (1114468) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Frank Ivan Tillen (1175445) (RAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Kenneth White (1535795) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant J H F Whyte (412522) (RNZAF) (Pilot) Evaded capture
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 A9301, 403169
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line