LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Allan OLSEN
Service No: 434001
Born: Toowoomba QLD, 11 November 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 514 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Waterbeach
Died: Air Operations: (No. 514 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NN775), Belgium, 5 March 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Louis Albert and Carrie Olsen, of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Toowoomba QLD
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1035 hours on 5 March 1945, Lancaster NN775 took off from Waterbeach detailed for a G-H attack (using electronic navigation aids) on the Consolidation benzol plant at Gelsenkirchen, Germany. The aircraft took off carrying 1 x 4000lb HG, and 12 x 500 ANG4, plus 1700 gallons of petrol sufficient for 8 hours flying, with the trip anticipated to take five and a quarter hours. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take- off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Bunsbeek, Belgium, and all the crew members lost their lives.
The crew members of NN775 were:
Flying Officer Frank Clarke (154941) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Christopher George Hogg (2220626) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Holman Gordon Stanley Kerr (185226) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant William Marsden (1589746) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Allan Olsen (434001) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Sidney Smith (1397506) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Herbert Percival Thomas (605706) (RAFVR) (Rear 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, 166/31/335