LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Athol Richard SCANLON
Service No: 403535
Born: Sydney NSW, 24 June 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 February 1941
Unit: No. 620 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Fairford
Died: Air Operations: (No. 620 Squadron Stirling aircraft LK127), Netherlands, 20 September 1944, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Heteren General Cemetery, Gelderland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Patrick Joseph and Violet Elinor Scanlon; husband of Doris Lena Mary Scanlon, of Petersham, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 20 September 1944, Stirling LK127 took off from Fairford detailed to carry out airborne operations in Holland. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry team later reported: “the aircraft crashed at Heteren, which is five miles south west of Arnhem, Holland.” All the crew were reported missing but later it was learned that four crew members had been killed and two were safe.
The crew members of LK127 were:
Flying Officer E B Dance (153444) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) Safe
Pilot Officer Sergeant Raymond Joseph Lamont (J/90746) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant John William Marshall (1391243) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Edward Joseph McGilvray (412632) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant W J Murray (1821564) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) Safe
Flying Officer Athol Richard Scanlon (403535) (Pilot)
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, 166/37/547
Bibliography:
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002