LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Kenneth William McILRATH
Service No: 400282
Born: Nhill VIC, 17 July 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 August 1940
Unit: No. 455 Squadron, RAF Station Wigsley
Died: Air Operations: (No. 455 Squadron Hampden aircraft P1203), Netherlands, 7 April 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery, Utrecht, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Percival and Ethel Phillis McIlrath, of Nhill, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Nhill VIC
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Hampden P1203 took off from Wigsley at 2355 hours on the night of 6/7 April 1942 to bomb the main square of Essen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it did not return to base. Three aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and P1203 failed to return. Following post war enquiries it was established that the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and believed crashed at 0413 hours on 7 April to the south of Zwolle (Overijssel), Netherlands. All the crew members had been killed.
The crew members of P1203 were:
Sergeant Colin Gammie (402829) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Kenneth William McIlrath (400282) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Trevor Emlyn Roberts (400105) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Arthur Henry Wincott (1283559) (RAFVR) (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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/141/508
Bibliography:
Gordon, I. (Ian) Strike and Strike Again: 455 Squadron 1944-5, Banner Books Belconnen ACT 2616, 1995
Lawson, John Horwood Wightman (251634) The Story of No. 455 Squadron (RAAF), Wilke and Company, Melbourne VIC, 1951