LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Henry Clifford HOWARD
Service No: 400471
Born: Norwood SA, 10 April 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 September 1940 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 25 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Finningley, Yorkshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 25 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft N2783), Yorkshire, 9 November 1941, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Finningley (Holy Trinity and St Oswald) Churchyard Extension, Nottinghamshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Egbert Percy and Irene Eliza Clifford Howard, of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the 9th November 1941, Wellington N2783 took off from RAF Finningley, detailed to carry out a night training exercise. Due to an incorrectly set altimeter, the aircraft crashed at 2115 hours near Rossington, four miles south east of Doncaster.
The crew members of N2783 were:
Sergeant A J Coe (404530) (RNZAF) Injured, burns to hands
Sergeant Reginald Wilton Durdin (407201) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Willie Holden (992165) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Henry Clifford Howard (400471) (Pilot)
Sergeant Clifford William Musto (406149) (Air Gunner) Facial Injuries: Killed on Air Operations, 11 August 1942
Sergeant Frank Morton Oddy (1308648) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air 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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/123/164