LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant William Francis NEUBECK
Service No: 421820
Born: Lithgow NSW, 1 November 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 March 1942
Unit: No. 614 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 614 Squadron Liberator aircraft KH231), Italy, 21 February 1945, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Udine War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Francis Joseph and Violet Amy E. Neubeck, of Lidsdale, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1409 hours on 21 February 1945, Liberator KH231 took off, along with other aircraft from the Squadron, detailed to bomb Pola, North Eastern Italy. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off, and it failed to return to base. Liberator KH231 was seen hit by anti-aircraft fire on the bombing run over the target, prior to the release of bombs. The aircraft then broke into pieces emitting smoke. Eight crew members were killed and one was taken prisoner after baling out. Five parachutes were seen, one of which only partly opened, but there was only one survivor.
The crew members of KH231 were:
Pilot Officer William John Gibbs (185785) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Douglas Stuart James Gladstone (164291) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Frederick Kendall (1485095) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Harry Gardner Lawley (1578060) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Lieutenant Harry Kenneth Mepham (138802) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Lieutenant William Francis Neubeck (412820) (Pilot)
Sergeant W J Sugden (1667721) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Flight Sergeant Albert Edward Tyreman (1577491) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Christopher Wilkins (1267581) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
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, 166/29/211