LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Keith Mellis NAPIER
Service No: 407249
Born: Adelaide SA, 4 March 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 17 August 1940
Unit: No. 114 Squadron (RAF), Celone, Italy
Died: Air Operations (No. 114 Squadron Boston aircraft W8306), Central Mediterranean, 15 April 1944, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Sir John Mellis Napier, K.C.M.G., and Lady Napier, of Adelaide, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 16, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Boston W8306 of No. 114 (Hong Kong) Squadron took off at 2104 hours on the night of 15 April 1944, to carry out a reconnaissance of shipping between Civitavecchia and Piombino on the west coast of Italy. The aircraft failed to return to base.
The crew members of W8306 were:
Flying Officer Alan Peter Bowman MID (407488) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Keith Mellis Napier (407249) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Stewart James Wilson Poulson (1580290) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Donald William Wickes (407476) (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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/29/110