LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Samuel Albert Gaston PRIESTLEY
Service No: 403485
Born: Chatswood NSW, 15 April 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 February 1941
Unit: Overseas Aircraft Delivery Unit
Died: Air Operations: (Overseas Aircraft Delivery Unit Wellington aircraft HX489), central Mediterranean, 24 July 1942, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Leslie George and Dorathea Priestley, of Roseville, New South Wales, Australia. Oil Technologist, A.S.T.C. (Chem.), A.M.Inst. Pet.
Roll of Honour: Roseville NSW
Remembered: Panel 113, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Ku-ring-gai World War 2 Book of Remembrance, Gordon NSW
Wellington HX489 was in transit from RAF Portreath to the Middle East. The aircraft took off from North Front, Gibraltar en route to Malta at 1501 hours on 24 July 1942. Approximately 4 hours after departure a distress message was received from the aircraft, but nothing further was heard and HX 489 did not arrive at its destination. Two Wellington and two Hudson aircraft which left Gibraltar for Malta on 25 July were instructed to keep a look out for the missing HX489, but no trace of the missing aircraft or crew members was seen.
The crew members of HX489 were:
Pilot Officer Peter Smithard Champion Jones (47131) (RAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Robert Alfred Henry Dolan (1186524) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Eric Wilson Grundy (116502) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Richard Kennedy (R/81069) (RCAF) (Observer)
Sergeant Samuel Albert Gaston Priestley (403485) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Philip Edgar Thomas (1285562) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air 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, 163/152/201
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line