LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Keith Austin MASHMAN
Service No: 424776
Born: Canterbury NSW, 22 March 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 51 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Snaith
Died: Air Operations (No. 51 Squadron Halifax aircraft), over Germany, 4 November 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Lille Southern Cemetery, Nord, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. W. Mashman, of Martinville, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the night of 4 November 1944, No. 51 Squadron was tasked to attack Bochum, Germany. One of the Squadron’s Halifax aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed at Vendiville, France. Flight Sergeant Mashman was killed in this action and Sergeant Goddard was wounded, dying the next day. The remainder of the crew members were uninjured.
The crew members of the Halifax were:
Sergeant E Curr (RAF) (Engineer)
Sergeant Anthony Henry John Goddard (1602239) (RAFVR) (Navigator) Fatally wounded: Died: 5 November 1944
Flight Sergeant Keith Austin Mashman (424776) (Wireless Operator)
Sergeant K Sharp (752346) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant E G Silcock (477233) (RNZAF) (Bomb Aimer)
Pilot Officer Charles William Simpson (428265) (Pilot) Discharged from the RAAF: 27 February 1946
Sergeant F A Withers (1199242) (RAFVR) (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 A9301, 424776