LEST WE FORGET

Warrant Officer Kevin Bernard QUINN

Service No: 430318
Born: Melbourne VIC, 21 January 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 January 1943
Unit: No. 460 Squadron, RAF Station Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 460 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NG404), Lincolnshire, 14 July 1945, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas James Quinn and Eileen Olivia Quinn, of South Yarra, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: South Yarra VIC
Remembered: Panel 108, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Lancaster NG404 took off from RAF Binbrook on 14 July 1945 on a day bombing and fighter affiliation exercise. With the bombing detail completed, the aircraft was carrying out a corkscrew during the fighter affiliation exercise when the fighter pilot called up to say the aircraft was on fire in the bomb bay. In a subsequent report the pilot said “I gave the order to prepare to abandon and all the crew acknowledged. The fumes and smoke became intense in a matter of seconds, and I ordered the crew to abandon but received no acknowledgement. I saw Flight Sergeant Sloan and Pilot Officer Johnson enter the bomb aimer’s compartment. As the smoke and flames then became intense I was forced to bale out through the pilot’s window”.

Flight Sergeant Sloan reported “Black smoke and fumes started to come out of the bomb bay. The pilot ordered prepare to abandon and acknowledged. I adjusted my chute and went to step into the bomb bay compartment. The bomb aimer had already jettisoned the emergency exit hatch and jumped on seeing me. I immediately followed. And as I left the Navigator was immediately behind me. The visibility was almost nil due to smoke and fumes. I saw three chutes on the way down.”

The crew members of NG404 were:

Pilot Officer Carl Edwin Johnson (433171) (Navigator)
Flying Officer William James Morrow DFC (429727) (Bomb Aimer) Slightly injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 22 January 1946
Flight Lieutenant Murray Caunter Nottle (436360) (Pilot) Slightly injured, Discharged from the RAAF: 14 February 1946
Warrant Officer Kevin Bernard Quinn (430318) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant Roy John Rogers (55854) (Rear Gunner) Baled out, landed in a lake and drowned
Flight Sergeant Ronald Keith Sloan (437799) (Flight Engineer) Slightly injured Discharged from the RAAF: 11 March 1946

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, 166/34/49

Bibliography:

Firkins, P. C. (Peter Charles) (441386) Strike and Return, Westward Ho Publishing City Beach WA, 1985

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