LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant William Edward HEARLE
Service No: 400587
Born: Glenhuntly VIC, 9 September 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 September 1940
Unit: No. 57 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Feltwell
Died: Air Operations: (No. 57 Squadron Wellington aircraft Z8897), Germany, 11 October 1941, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John and Florence Hearle, of Caulfield, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Caulfield VIC
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2355 hours on the night of 10 October 1941Wellington Z8897 took off from Feltwell detailed to bomb Cologne, Germany. 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 Z8897 were:
Sergeant Josiah George Hanlin (928426) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Cecil Thornton Harbottle (R/61806) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Edward Hearle (400587) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Thomas Kelly (746454) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph Ernest Medhurst (1281206) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Michael Clive Young (1059469) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
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, 163/121/101