LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Owen James SANDERSON
Service No: 404685
Born: Brisbane QLD, 4 September 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 8 November 1940
Unit: No. 218 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Downham Market
Died: Air Operations: (No. 218 Squadron Stirling aircraft W7573), Germany, 21 August 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Kiel War Cemetery, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Johnstone Sanderson and Ruby Ina Sanderson, of New Farm, Queensland, Australia. A.F.I.A., A.I.I.S.
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the night of 20/21 August 1942 Stirling W 7573 took off from Downham Market detailed to lay mines in the Fehmarn Channel, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed between Brodersby and Geel, 9 kms east north east of Schleswig. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of W7573 were:
Flight Sergeant Calvin Daniel Dixon (R/82839) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Farrimond (1114842) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Raymond Tom Higgins (568305) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Francis John James (914837) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Owen James Sanderson (404685) (Pilot)
Sergeant Colin Smith (1209164) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Gerald Leslie Tudor (116028) (RAFVR) (Observer)
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 A9300, SANDERSON O J