LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Moheddeen Abdull Ghias HOWSAN
Service No: 404247
Born: Brisbane QLD, 23 April 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1940
Unit: No. 405 Squadron (RCAF), RAF Station Pocklington
Died: Air Operations: (No. 405 Squadron Wellington aircraft Z8527), France, 1 April 1942, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Les Gonards Cemetery, Versailles, Yvelines, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Fred Madeen Howsan and Rahim Bibi Howsan, of Mt. Gravatt, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 1 April 1942, Wellington Z8527 took off from Pocklington at 0107 hours detailed to attack Poissy, France, some 40 miles north east of Paris. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed near Versailles (Seine-et-Oise), France and five of the crew members were killed and one became a Prisoner of War.
The crew members of Z8527 were:
Sergeant William Philip Ashun (990550) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Laurel Glenwood Burgoyne (J/15060) (RCAF) (Observer) PoW
Flight Sergeant Martin Charles Howe (R/79659) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer James George MacKinnon (106643) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Moheddeen Abdull Ghias Howsan (404247) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Raoul Omer Joseph Page (R/55438) (RCAF) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/123/230