LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer George Gordon McLEAN
Service No: 401996
Born: Melbourne VIC, 18 September 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1941
Unit: No. 269 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 269 Squadron Hudson aircraft NE791), Portugal, 6 March 1944, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Oporto (St James) British Cemetery, Portugal
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Fredrick Gordon Henry and Caroline McLean, of East Brunswick, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brunswick VIC
Remembered: Panel 126, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 6 March 1944, Hudson NE791 encountered a severe electrical storm which caused the port engine to misfire and just before 0600 hours the port engine failed and the aircraft went out of control and crashed. The aircraft was on a non-operational night transit to the Azores via Gibraltar. The aircraft crashed near Mia, 30 kms north of Figueira Da Foz, Portugal. Three of the crew members were killed and Warrant Officer Potwayka baled out and survived.
The crew members of NE791 were:
Warrant Officer I Philip Arthur Gallop (R/99353) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer George Gordon McLean (401996) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Squadron Leader David Duncan McPetrie (39548) (RAF) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer I H N T Potwayka (R/114361) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner) Baled out
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, 166/26/392