LEST WE FORGET
Squadron Leader Norman Henry Edward MESSERVY DFC
From Australia serving in the Royal Air Force
Service No: 40057 (RAF)
Born: 1915, Brisbane QLD
Enlisted in the RAF: Date unavailable
Unit: No. 105 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Horsham St Faith, Norfolk
Commanding Officer, No. 3 Photo Reconnaissance Unit (RAF), 1941
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 105 Squadron Mosquito IV aircraft DK326), Germany, 19 September 1942, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry Edward and Vesta Messervy; husband of Elizabeth Messervy, of Orpington, Kent. Of Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Supplementary Panel 12, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Squadron Leader Messervy was an Australian Cadet trained for the RAF who embarked for the UK on 17 July 1937.
DFC Citation: Squadron Leader Messervy has carried out many operational flights often involving long sea crossings in bad weather. Throughout, he has shown excellent initiative and leadership. (Citation dated 23 December 1941)
Mosquito DK326 took off from Horsham St. Faith at 1234 hours on 19 September 1942 to attack Berlin. The aircraft crashed south of Ankum, 17 km north north-west of Bramsche and both crew members were killed.
The crew members of DK326 were:
Pilot Officer Frank Holland (130725) (RAFVR) (Navigator Wireless)
Squadron Leader Norman Henry Edward Messervy DFC (40057) (RAF) (Pilot)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
Chorley W R, Royal Air Force Bomber Command losses of the Second World War, Volume 3 Aircraft and Aircrew Losses 1942, Midland Counties Publications, Leicester, 1994
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/44/170
Newton, Dennis A Few of the Few: Australians and the Battle of Britain, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT 2600, 1990