LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Richard Glasson O’NEILL
Service No: 415949
Born: Northam WA, 10 August 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 22 April 1942
Unit: No. 78 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Breighton, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 78 Squadron Halifax aircraft LK763), North West Europe, 20 February 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Patrick O’Neill, and of Nira Marcella O’Neill, of Subiaco, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 261, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Halifax LK763 of No. 78 Squadron took off from RAF Breighton at 0011 hours on 20 February 1944 to attack Leipzig, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off, and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1950 that the missing crew had no known grave.
The crew members of LK763 were:
Sergeant George Beal (1803550) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Everett Malcolm Coulter (R/156195) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Ian Richard Montagu Douglas-Pulleyne (138075) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Lawrence Ernest Mears (1607727) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Richard Glasson O’Neill (415949) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant George Frederick Reynolds (1415061) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
Sergeant John Smith (1323064) (RAFVR) (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, 166/31/159