LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Selwyn William Bruce MARTIN
Service No: 421605
Born: Neutral Bay NSW, 15 January 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 February 1942
Unit: No. 70 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 70 Squadron Wellington aircraft JA136), Italy, 13 February 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Bari War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward Selwyn Frederick and Linda Martin, of Double Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Double Bay NSW
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the night of 12/13 February 1944 Wellington JA136 was detailed to attack enemy motor transports and troop concentrations at Cisterna. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. When returning from the mission, the aircraft crashed killing three crew members, injuring one while the rear gunner was uninjured
The crew members of JA136 were:
Sergeant Robin Eric Appleton (1440338) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Albert Charles Fance (1320851) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant P A Holmes (627749) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) Uninjured
Flight Sergeant Selwyn William Bruce Martin (421605) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Stuart Spencer Wills (23514) (Pilot) Injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 9 May 1945
Flight Sergeant Wills later reported “after attacking the target we set course for base. The Rear Gunner reported that one or two bombs were hung up. We changed coursed to jettison the bombs over the Adriatic Sea. On return we made landfall in the Bari area, but owing to considerable cloud we had difficulty in pinpointing our position. At the request of the Navigator we lost height to about 1,500 feet and almost immediately after the aircraft crashed into a hillside. Three of the crew were killed, the Rear Gunner who was uninjured was thrown clear and I suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital.” The crash occurred at 0628 hours 16 miles south of Corato.
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, 166/27/354