LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Patrick Lawrence LOONEY
Service No: 406694
Born: Bunbury WA, 3 August 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941
Unit: No. 26 Operational Training Unit (RAF),
Died: Air Operations: (No. 26 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft DV723), North West Europe, 16 September 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William and Victoria Agnes Looney, of Mount Lawley, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 112, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Remembered: Honour Avenues, Kings Park WA
Brother of Flying Officer Paul Laney (427520)
Wellington DV723 of No 26 Operational Training Unit took off from the RAF Station Wing, Buckinghamshire, Satellite airfield at 2019 hours on 16 September 1942 to attack Essen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1949 that the missing crew had no known grave.
The crew members of DV723 were:
Sergeant Alfred Eric William Butler (1287068) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Clarence Gilbert Calcutt (1165796) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Michael James Clayton (1293639) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Patrick Lawrence Looney (406694) (Pilot)
Sergeant James Thomas Pate (656344) (RAF) (Air Bomber)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/139/168
Bibliography:
Gaston, Bruce DFC (406646), Harry Horner DFC OAM (406595), Raymond Storer (406666) (Editors), Aircrew for the Duration: of and by members of RAAF EATS Courses 10, 11, 12 & 13, Gaston Horner and Storer, Nedlands WA, 1990