LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Oscar Patrick McFADDEN
Service No: 424303
Born: Coolamon NSW, 21 August 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 17 August 1942
Unit: No. 166 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Kirmington
Died: Air Operations: (No. 166 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LL916), North West Europe, 28 May 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles James McFadden and Christina Roseland McFadden, of Botany, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 261, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0005 hours on the morning 28 May 1944 Lancaster LL916 took off from Kirmington as one of twenty aircraft detailed to attack Aachen, Germany. Crews reported that opposition from air defences was fairly intense with heavy anti-aircraft fire and considerable fighter activity. There were nine sightings of enemy aircraft reported two of which developed into combat. Nothing was heard from LL916 after take off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations it was recorded in 1949 that the missing crew members had no known graves.
The crew members of LL916 were:
Sergeant Hubert John Evans (1274257) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Warrant Officer Frederick Arthur Mander (1385495) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Oscar Patrick McFadden (424303) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant Victor Louis John Newell (1377357) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer II Gerald Joseph Overend (R/165026) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
Warrant Officer Harold Shaw (1071593) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer Bernard Arthur White (155945) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper 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, 166/26/469