LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Harold Russell McDOWELL
Service No: 421664
Born: 21 June 1923, Location unavailable
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 February 1942
Unit: No. 12 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Wickenby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 12 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB715), Lincolnshire, 16 December 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Stanley and Edna Isabel McDowell, of Dorrigo, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Dorrigo NSW
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Dorrigo Monument, Dorrigo NSW
Lancaster JB715 took off from RAF Wickenby at 1614 hours on the night of 16/17 December 1943 to bomb Berlin, Germany. On returning from the mission the aircraft flew into trees in low cloud and crashed at 2345 hours on 16 December 1943 at Hainton, 9 miles west south west of Louth, Lincolnshire. Six of the crew were killed in the crash and Sergeant Whitley who was seriously injured died later on 17 December 1943 in Louth Hospital.
The crew members of JB715 were:
Sergeant Harry Derek Gordon Aldiss (1334286) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Alfred Thomas Broome (545146) (RAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Frederick George Clark (1850565) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Harold Russell McDowell (421664) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Hugh Robert Hector Ross (408339) (Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Arthur Walker (85276) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Ronald Alfred Whitley (1604580) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) Fatally injured, Died 17 December 1943
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, 166/26/316
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line