LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant William Raymond MINTER
Service No: 421039
Born: Arncliffe NSW, 23 May 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 57 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station East Kirkby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 57 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB237), Germany, 22 October 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Hanover War Cemetery, Niedersachsen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Raymond and Theresa Olive Minter, of Enfield, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Enfield NSW
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1757 hours on the night of 22 October 1943, Lancaster JB237 took off from East Kirkby detailed to bomb Kassel, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A later Missing Research and Enquiry report stated “The aircraft appeared over the village of Polle from the direction of Kassel at approximately 2300 hours on 22 October. It was burning fiercely in the air and crashed. A witness said that it had been attacked by a night fighter.” Three crew members were killed and four became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of JB237 were:
Sergeant R D Harvey (1382847) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Sergeant L H Howling (1460246) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Flight Sergeant William Raymond Minter (421039) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Alexander Novick (J/7891) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant F H Roseblade (1286424) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) PoW
Flight Sergeant Edgar Francis Taylor (910959) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant G M Turnbull (1546947) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) PoW
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, 166/27/256