LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Bartlett Parker SHADDICK DFM
Service No: 406682
Born: Pingelly WA, 24 August 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 March 1941
Unit: No. 142 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Grimsby, Lincolnshire
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM) for service on 15 October 1942
Died: Air Operations (No. 142 Squadron Wellington aircraft X3455), Netherlands, 25 October 1942, Aged 21 Years
Buried: The Hague (Westduin) General Cemetery, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Stephen Parker Shaddick and Mary Catherine Shaddick, of East Pingelly, Western Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
DFM Citation: “Sergeant Bartlett Parker Shaddick (RAAF) was Captain of a Wellington bomber detailed to attack Cologne on the night of 15th October 1942. On the way to the target, his aircraft was engaged by anti-aircraft guns working in conjunction with searchlights and was hit in the starboard wing. Immediately afterwards, Sergeant Shaddick smelt petrol and on inspection his gauges noticed that petrol from his starboard wing tanks was being lost at an alarming rate. Undaunted, he turned off the port tank and ran both engines on the starboard tanks until they were dry. While adjusting the fuel supply in this manner and although forced down several thousand feet, he carried on through heavy defences to his target which he bombed with success. The aircraft was hit in the port engine when over the target area, but, owing to his skilful piloting and sound judgement, he brought it home on one engine and crash-landed at Manston without injury to his crew. I recommend that his extreme devotion to duty and sterling determination in that he carried on to bomb his target, although seriously damaged on the outward journey and then flew the crippled aircraft home without loss to his crew is recognized by an immediate award of the DFM. “
At 1925 hours on the night of 24 October 1942, Wellington X3455 took off from Grimsby detailed to bomb, Milan, Italy. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off, and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed in the North Sea west of the Island of Schouwen, and all the crew members were killed. They are buried in various cemeteries in the Netherlands.
The crew members of X3455 were:
Sergeant Frank Bernard Hough (1074122) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant Gerald Thomas Reyburn (R/126898) (RCAF) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Bartlett Parker Shaddick DFM (406682) (Pilot)
Sergeant Eric Watcham (656472) (RAFVR) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Edwin Cuthbert Woollard (1376622) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
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, 163/161/303
Bibliography:
Gaston, Bruce DFC (406646), Harry Horner DFC OAM (406595), Raymond Storer (406666) (Editors), Aircrew for the Duration: of and by members of RAAF EATS Courses 10, 11, 12 & 13, Gaston Horner and Storer, Nedlands WA, 1990