LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Edward Joseph McGILVRAY
Service No: 412632
Born: Goulburn NSW, 24 October 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 July 1941
Unit: No. 620 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Fairford
Died: Air Operations: (No. 620 Squadron Stirling aircraft LK127), Netherlands, 20 September 1944, Aged 31 Years
Buried: Heteren General Cemetery, Gelderland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Donald Joseph and Ellen Mabel McGilvray, of Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Goulburn NSW
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Goulburn-Mulwaree Honour Roll 1939-1972, Goulburn NSW
On 20 September 1944, Stirling LK127 took off from Fairford detailed to carry out airborne operations in Holland. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry team later reported: “the aircraft crashed at Heteren, which is five miles south west of Arnhem, Holland.” All the crew were reported missing but later it was learned that four crew members had been killed and two were safe.
The crew members of LK127 were:
Flying Officer E B Dance (153444) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) Safe
Pilot Officer Sergeant Raymond Joseph Lamont (J/90746) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant John William Marshall (1391243) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Edward Joseph McGilvray (412632) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant W J Murray (1821564) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) Safe
Flying Officer Athol Richard Scanlon (403535) (Pilot)
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, 163/141/745
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line