LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Douglas Thorne MARTIN
Service No: 407681
Born: Semaphore SA, 4 January 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 December 1940
Unit: No. 455 Squadron, RAF Station Leuchars, Fifeshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 455 Squadron Hampden aircraft AN166), Leuchars, 11 January 1943, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Leuchars Cemetery, Fifeshire, Scotland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Philip Thomas Thorne Martin and Ruby Emmeline Martin, of Semaphore, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Semaphore SA, Port Adelaide SA
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Hampden AN166 was one of 12 aircraft from the Squadron detailed to strike enemy naval vessels off the coast of Norway on the night of 11 January 1943. AN166 crashed just after take off from Leuchars and one crew member, Sergeant Martin, was killed.
The crew members of AN166 were:
Sergeant Kenneth Charles Applekamp (407634) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner) Discharged from the RAAF: 9 October 1945
Sergeant Douglas Thorne Martin (407681) (Second Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Sydney Allan Vincent (403612) (Pilot) Discharged from the RAAF: 4 March 1946
Flight Sergeant A L W Watt (R/86404) (RCAF) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/27/13
Bibliography:
Gordon, I. (Ian) Strike and Strike Again: 455 Squadron 1944-5, Banner Books Belconnen ACT 2616, 1995
Lawson, John Horwood Wightman (251634) The Story of No. 455 Squadron (RAAF), Wilke and Company, Melbourne VIC, 1951