LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Graham Sydney READ
Service No: 417118
Born: Renmark SA, 20 July 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 405 Squadron (RCAF), RAF Gransden Lodge, Cambridgeshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 405 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB120), North West Europe, 28 September 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Jack and Jessie Stella Alice Read, of Malvern, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Waikerie SA
Remembered: Panel 193, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster JB120 of No. 405 Squadron took off from RAF Station Gransden Lodge at 1945 hours on the night of 27/28th September 1943, to attack Hannover, Germany. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft take off and it did not return to base. Following post war searches and investigations, it was recorded in 1950 that the missing crew had no known grave.
The crew members of JB120 were:
Warrant Officer Walter Eric Goldspink (1254181) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Stuart Herman Long (J/17407) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant John Clare Lowther (J/10021) (RCAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Graham Sydney Read (417118) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Bruce Anderson St Louis (J/14059) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Stanley John Slade (143997) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer Temple Dawson Trippe (J/16827) (RCAF) (Bomb Aimer)
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, 166/35/160