LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Gordon Henry KNIGHT
Service No: 421601
Born: Lismore NSW, 21 June 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 February 1942
Unit: No. 44 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 44 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ND519), France, 7 June 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: La Deliverande War Cemetery, Douvres, Calvados, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward J. and Irene M. Knight, of Jiggi, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Lismore NSW
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Lismore Cenotaph, Lismore NSW
Lancaster ND519 was detailed to attack Caen, France on the night of 6 June 1944. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The Air Ministry later advised the wrecked aircraft was found on 27 August 1944. ND519 had crashed near Fresney-Le-Vieux, 11 miles south of Caen, and all the crew members had been killed.
The crew members of ND519 were:
Flying Officer Alfred Charles Allwood Greenfield (151197) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Reginald Frank Edwin Haly (1890071) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Eric Peter Hawkes (1602334) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Gordon Henry Knight (421601) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Herbert Peter Page (1432806) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Ernest John Roe (176769) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant William Anthony Stratis DFC (171501) (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, 166/23/58
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line