LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Harold William PRONGER
Service No: 425549
Born: Gympie QLD, 29 May 1910
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 March 1942
Unit: No. 61 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Coningsby
Died: Air Operations (No. 61 Squadron Lancaster aircraft EE176), North Sea, 31 March 1944, Aged 33 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Charles and Helena Pronger; husband of Elsie Enid Pronger, of Bundaberg, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Bundaberg QLD
Remembered: Panel 261, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the night of 30/31 March 1944 Lancaster EE 176 was detailed along with other aircraft of the Squadron to attack Nurnberg, Germany. EE176 had successfully attacked the target and on nearing the English coast on the return journey at about 0530 hours on the 31 March, a violent electrical storm was encountered. The pilot did his best to avoid the storm, but finally had to fly through the storm of snow and sleet.
The aircraft was struck by a flash of vivid blue lightning, and the pilot and other crew members were temporarily blinded. As a result of this the aircraft rolled out of control and with the pilot helpless for the time being, he ordered abandon aircraft by parachute. When the aircraft had fallen to a height of 1,000 feet over the sea, the pilot’s eyesight commenced to come back, and he regained control.
On checking over the crew he found that Flight Sergeant Pronger and Sergeant Darben had baled out with parachute and Mae West. The others were too stunned and blinded to obey the order. A message was passed to Air Sea Rescue services and at first light searches were conducted, but no trace of the two missing crew members was found.
EE176 landed at 0600 hours at RAF Station Little Snoring. It was recorded in 1949 that the two missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of EE176 were:
Sergeant Leonard George Darben (1455379) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air) Missing
Sergeant A H Davies (1435786) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer John Augustus Forrest (415635) (Pilot) Killed on Air Operations: 25 June 1944
Sergeant John Macfie (1343646) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) Killed on Air Operations: 25 June 1944
Sergeant Donald Cecil Newman (1339270) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) Killed on Air Operations: 25 June 1944
Flight Sergeant Harold William Pronger (425549) (Air Gunner) Missing
Flight Sergeant James Rankin Stratton Wood (176154) (RAFVR) (Navigator) Killed on Air Operations: 25 June 1944
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, 166/33/144