LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Frederick Charles Henry RAY
Service No: 434011
Born: Cairns QLD, 7 January 1944
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 466 Squadron, RAF Station Driffield, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 466 Squadron Halifax aircraft LV949), Yorkshire, 5 March 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Yorkshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Charles and Lucy Marion Ray, of Freshwater, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Cairns QLD
Remembered: Panel 110, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Halifax LV949 took off from RAF Driffield at 1649 hours on the night of 5 March 1945 to bomb Chemnitz, Germany. Fifteen aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid but LV949 was forced to turn back because of icing trouble. The Captain baled out the crew and safely landed the plane at Carnaby. Flight Sergeant Ray was the only fatality.
The crew members of LV949 were:
Sergeant F Bristow (3032225) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant E G R Gates (650149) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant C B Harrison (1622423) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Frederick Charles Henry Ray (434011) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant L J Hocking (3031629) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant R E Roff (541599) (RAF) (Bomb Aimer)
Flying Officer Ronald Stanley Swain (422911) (Pilot) Discharged from the RAAF: 27 September 1945
Flying Officer Swain reported “I was climbing through cloud when at approximately 8,000 feet the engines became iced up and lost power. I immediately changed to hot air, but the airframe was also beginning to ice up. The aircraft stalled at 160mph IAS and later stalled again at 180mph. The aircraft then came completely uncontrollable. I ordered the crew to abandon. I then attempted to leave myself with the aircraft still out of control and in cloud but was unable to leave the seat. So I decided I would stay and make an attempt to crash-land the aircraft. I broke cloud at 800 feet and at 400feet I regained part control and was able to land at Carnaby without damaging the aircraft.” An inquiry into the incident found “the Pilot acted correctly in baling out the crew and is to be congratulated on his good airmanship in landing the aircraft safely at Carnaby.”
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, 166/35/485