LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Winston David LOVE
Service No: 402243
Born: Pymble NSW, 4 May 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 22 July 1940
Unit: No. 150 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Snaith
Died: Air Operations: (No. 150 Squadron Wellington aircraft X3725), North West Europe, 9 June 1942, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Rowland Love and Eva Love, of Pymble, New South Wales, Australia. B.Ec. (Sydney University)
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 110, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: University of Sydney World War II Roll of Honour, Camperdown NSW
Remembered: Knox Grammar School Old Boys’ War Memorial, Wahroonga NSW
Remembered: Quaama War Memorial Park, Quaama NSW
Wellington X3725 took off from Snaith at 2307 hours on the night of 8/9th June 1942 to attack enemy target at Essen, Germany. It was one of seven Squadron aircraft detailed to attack the target. Nothing further was heard form the aircraft after take off and X3725 did not return to base. The weather over the target was 8/9 tenths cloud cover and ground haze. The ground defences were active. In 1950 following investigation and enquiries no trace of the missing crew could be found. The crew were recorded as missing with no known graves.
The crew members of X3725 were:
Sergeant Lancelot Dent (1379092) (RAFVR) (Gunner)
Sergeant Leslie Charles Gray (1174107) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Winston David Love (402243) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Emile Francois Bruno Mandin (R/75471) (RCAF) (Observer)
Sergeant Robert Dudley Procter (1306729) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/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, 163/43/70
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line