LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Leslie MUTTON
Service No: 427535
Born: Perth WA, 2 March 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1942
Unit: No. 576 Squadron (RAF), RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 576 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LL903), France, 29 July 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Rimsdorf New Communal Cemetery, Bas-Rhin, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Henry and Eveline Edith Mutton, of Claremont, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Claremont WA
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
On the night of 28 July 1944, Lancaster LL903 took off from RAF Elsham Wolds 2110 hours, detailed to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at around 0140 hours on the 29th July 1944, with its starboard wing on fire, and crashed between Sarrewerden (Bas-Rhin) and Rimsdorf. Four of the crew members were killed and three became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of LL9903 were:
Sergeant W T Dodge (RAF) (Air Bomber) PoW
Flight Sergeant Donald Irwin MacVicar (R/186676) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer Edward James Mann DFC (J/85595) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant F T McCann (1438842) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) PoW
Flight Sergeant Leslie Mutton (427535) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer A Novak (J/23496) (RCAF) (Navigator) PoW
Sergeant Reginald Alan Wellesley Roberts (2205622) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/28/367