LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Frank Norman HAMOOD
Service No: 409046
Born: Mount Gambier SA, 4 December 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 June 1941 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 466 Squadron, RAF Station Leconfield, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 466 Squadron Wellington aircraft LN442), off the French Coast, 12 August 1943, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Guidel Communal Cemetery, Morbihan, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Norman and Alvena Ann Caroline Hamood, of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Geelong VIC
Remembered: Panel 110, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wellington LN442 took off from RAF Leconfield at 2356 hours on the night of 11 August 1943 to carry out a mining mission in French coastal waters off St Nazaire. Eight aircraft from the Squadron took part in the mission and of these LN442 failed to return. It was later established that all the crew members had been killed.
The crew members of LN442 were:
Warrant Officer Edmond Daniel Fogden (403045) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Frank Norman Hamood (409046) (Navigator)
Sergeant Ronald William Richardson (2207432) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant William Victor Bryan Winchester (409265) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Richard Gordon Woosnam (1316368) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
The Leconfield Operational Order 115 of 11/8/43 required:
8 Aircraft of the Squadron gardening off St Nazaire on the night of 11/12th August 1943
Route: Harwell – Bridgport – Start Point – 49.00N 05.30W – 48.00N 05.30W – 47.30N 04.30W – Pinpoint – Garden – 47.30N 04.30W – and return by same route as above to start point then Bridgport – Harwell – Goole – Base.
Aircraft to take off from Harwell Advanced base after refuelling.
Drop height of mines between 700/1,000 feet.
Mine loads: Various to individual aircraft
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, 166/17/252