LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Victor Edward LAWSON
Service No: 420687
Born: Kogarah NSW, 22 January 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941
Unit: No. 150 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 150 Squadron Wellington aircraft LN516), Italy, 16 October 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Bolsena War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick Olof and Ada Alice Lawson, of Kogarah, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Hurstville War Memorial, Hurstville NSW
Wellington LN516 took off at 1650 hours on the night of 16 October 1943 as one of a number of No. 150 Squadron aircraft detailed to attack Casale aerodrome, Italy. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. Later it was learned that all the crew had been killed.
The crew members of LN516 were:
Sergeant Henry Leonard Brittain (1145431) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Alexander Clark (1336679) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Victor Edward Lawson (420687) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Terence O’Mohr Mears (658884) (RAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Clarence David Lowrie Stewart (1340810) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/24/215
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line