LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Lindsay Joseph ODGERS
Service No: 417595
Born: Angaston SA, 21 February 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 June 1942
Unit: No. 214 Squadron (RAF), RAF Oulton, Norfolk
Died: Air Operations (No. 214 Squadron Flying Fortress aircraft HE815), Norfolk, 4 March 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward Thomas Odgers and Mabel Evelyn Ellie Odgers, of Angaston, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Angaston SA
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Fortress HE815 took off from RAF Oulton at 1840 hours on the night of 3 March 1945, detailed to carry out window (radar counter-measures) duties in support of a raid on Ladbergen, Germany. On return to the base the aircraft was shot down by a JU88 (Operation Gisela). On fire the Fortress crash landed at 0051 hours on 4 March at Lodge Farm on the airfield boundary. Eight of the crew members were killed and two were injured.
The crew members of HE815 were:
Flight Sergeant Harry Barnfield (1059973) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Harry Bennett DFC (190245) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Leslie Ernest Billington (2205644) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant William Briddon (1817057) (RAFVR)
Warrant Officer R W Church (626466) (RAF) Injured
Flight Sergeant Leslie Arnold Hadder (1804649) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Frank Hares (1581827) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant A McDermid (2202027) (RAFVR) Injured
Sergeant Patrick James Healy (1300369) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Lindsay Joseph Odgers (417595) (Navigator)
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, 166/31/332