LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Auburn Clyde INNES
Service No: 432517
Born: Bega NSW, 24 June 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 2 January 1943
Unit: No. 189 squadron (RAF), RAF Station Fulbeck
Died: Air Operations: (No. 189 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NG416), Germany, 7 March 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Becklingen War Cemetery, Locality Soltau, Niedersachsen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Isaac and Rose Hanna Innes, of Bega, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Bega NSW
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Bega Valley Shire Council War Memorial, Bega NSW
At 1805 hours on the night of 7 March 1945 Lancaster NG416 took off from Fulbeck detailed to bomb oil production facilities at Harburg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at 2225 hours at Ostlich Hassel. Flight Sergeant Innes was killed in the crash and two other crew members were fatally injured.
The crew members of NG416 were:
Sergeant Donald Henry Henson (1877101) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner) PoW, Fatally injured, Died: 8 March 1945
Flight Sergeant Auburn Clyde Innes (432517) (Wireless Operator Air)
Sergeant R C Powell (1043836) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Sergeant E L Preece (2225594) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) PoW
Flight Lieutenant David Alexander Smith (150233) (RAF) (Pilot) PoW, Fatally injured, Died: 8 March 1945
Flight Sergeant F B Walsh (1473032) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) PoW
Flying Officer G M Ward DFC (174677) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
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, 166/19/84
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line