LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Bruce Sydney MEYER
Service No: 403758
Born: Newtown NSW, 9 May 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941
Unit: No. 281 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 281 Squadron Warwick aircraft BV409), Irish Sea, 26 April 1944, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry Ferdinand and May Wingrove Meyer, of Kingsford, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Randwick NSW
Remembered: Panel 256, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 10 October 1942, Flight Meyer was on the crew of a Beaufort aircraft that ditched off the Tunisian Coast. He was interned by Vichy French Authorities and later freed by advancing US Forces.
On 26 April 1944 Warwick BV409 was engaged on an air/sea rescue search over the Irish Sea. When a lookout in the second pilot’s seat reported a dinghy to starboard, the pilot turned to starboard losing height from 500 feet to 200 feet, at which time a spin to starboard developed. The starboard wing tip hit the sea and broke off, with the aircraft crashing straight into the sea. The aircraft crashed approx 68 miles west of Liverpool. The one survivor escaped through the upper turret and was picked up by a trawler. The remaining five crew members were recorded as missing lost at sea.
The crew members of BV409 were:
Flight Sergeant A Connelly (RAF) (Third Wireless Operator) Escaped, rescued
Flight Sergeant Robert Herbert (969208) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Bruce Sydney Meyer (403758) (First Wireless Operator)
Flight Sergeant Henry Turner (1268615) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Clarence Gerhart Wenzel (J/85020) (RCAF) (Second Wireless Operator)
Pilot Officer Robert James West (176510) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A9300, MEYER B S