LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant William John POLING
Service No: 417667
Born: Adelaide SA, 15 February 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1942
Unit: No. 113 South Atlantic Wing (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 113 South Atlantic Wing Dakota KG508), off the Brazilian coast, 15 April 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Natal (Alecrim) Cemetery, Brazil
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Frederick and Bridie Poling of Beulah Park, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Black Forest SA
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
On the 15th April 1944, Dakota KG508 from RAF Station Nassau, Bahamas, departed Belem en route to Natal at 1020 hours GMT. The last contact by Natal with the aircraft was at 1602 hours giving an ETA Natal of 1638 hours. The aircraft failed to arrive. Two parachutes were seen in the air and an aircraft falling in flames about 8 miles east of Assu at about 1700 hours GMT. The weather at the time was a thick stratus layer and cumulus clouds with moderate turbulence, lightening and heavy rain. The aircraft was on a ferry flight carrying items of equipment and no passengers.
The crew members of KG508 were:
Pilot Officer Gwilym Deiniol Morris (153759) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant William John Poling (417667) (Radio Operator)
Sergeant Ronald Jack Uden (1603568) (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, 166/33/153