LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Frank MERES
Service No: 421921
Born: Paddington NSW, 19 March 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 24 April 1942
Unit: No. 9 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Bardney
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 9 Squadron Lancaster aircraft W4133), Bardney, 7 August 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Lincoln (Newport) Cemetery, Lincolnshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frank and Melba May Meres, of Rockdale, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
While engaged on a night cross country exercise on 7 August 1943, at 0140 hours Lancaster W4133 crashed and burst into flames while doing a circuit of the Bardney airfield. The aircraft took off at 1934 hours on 6 August and the ETA was 0134 hours on 7 August. All the crew members were killed in the accident.
The crew members of W4133 were:
Sergeant John Bernard Davis (1336716) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Donald Lofthouse (9843568) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Frank Meres (421921) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Stanley Robertson (1620748) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant James Henry Stevens (1383561) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Eric Taylor (1076060) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Peter Clifford Wilfred Wyatt (1332914) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
At the time of the accident full airfield lighting including the outer circle and the illuminated ‘B’ on the watch office roof was on. W4133 was plotted by the ROC post F2 at Cherry Willingham near Lincoln heading for Bardney. The plot was taken over by Bardney ROC post F1 and the aircraft approached Bardney airfield due north at 3,000 feet. It’s navigation lights and tail light were on. The engine note sounded normal to the 2 personnel in the post and nothing unusual was observed. The circuit lighting was on at 0130 hours but there was no canopy lighting except at Woodhall Spa. There were no other aircraft in the circuit. Apparently with the same power setting the aircraft passed over the airfield and then gradually losing height did a slow right hand turn from a southerly heading on to a north west heading. It passed over Post F1 south west of Bardney village one mile, at 300 feet slowly losing height in the direction of the village. The engine note did not change nor were the usual throttle back or increased pitch symptoms heard. The aircraft continued its shallow descent and at about 180 miles per hour crashed in a field near Bardney village at 0138 hours and caught fire. All the crew members were killed. The Court of Inquiry concluded “evidence as exists suggests the aircraft stalled in a turn while circling the airfield. Error of judgement.”
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, 166/27/192