LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Leonard John PORTER

Service No: 435625
Born: Ipswich QLD, 21 September 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 June 1943
Unit: No. 30 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Station Hixon
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 30 operational training Unit Wellington aircraft LN166), Staffordshire, 8 January 1945, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, Cheshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Joseph and Eva May Porter, of lpwsich, Queensland, Australia; husband of Audra Pearl Porter, of North Ipswich
Roll of Honour: Ipswich QLD
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

At 1035 hours on the 8 January 1945, Wellington LN166 took off from Hixon detailed to do a high level bombing flight at 10,500 feet. The aircraft broke up in flight and crashed at high speed at 1130 hours at Burton’s Lane, Eccleshall, six miles north west of Stafford. All the crew members were killed.

The crew members of LN166 were:

Sergeant Malcolm Fraser MacLean (1567034) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Leonard Tom Meadows (412215) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Eric Stuart Parrett (1874893) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Leonard John Porter (435625) (Navigator)
Sergeant Clifton Wade (1593397) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant John Selby Wright (1581990) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)

A Flying Accident report stated: “The Primary cause of the accident appears to be some factor at present unknown, causing the aircraft to assume a diving position. The aircraft was seen from the direction of Stoke-on-Trent just below cloud at about 4,000 feet. The aircraft then turned to the north west and then turned to the south east (probably finding a wind direction). It then entered a shallow dive in the Eccleshall direction and passed over Eccleshall at a very high speed. Shortly after a bang was heard and pieces of aircraft were seen to fly off. The aircraft then dived at a very steep angle into the ground, and all the crew members were killed. Having entered the dive for some unknown reason, excessive speed was attained and the oil cooler intake of one engine became detached and probably struck the tail plane, causing the elevator balance to break away causing complete loss of control.”

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, 166/33/281

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