LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer William Robert SINCLAIR
Service No: 410390
Born: Hampton VIC, 15 June 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 97 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Coningsby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 97 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PB461), Norway, 22 December 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Eiken Churchyard, Norway
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Charles Haferkorn and Annie Ellen Sinclair, of Hampton, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1649 hours on the night of 21 December 1944 Lancaster PB461 took off from Coningsby detailed to bomb Politz, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take- off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed in the general area of Eiken, Norway, and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of PB461 were:
Flight Sergeant Thomas David Cremins (1586074) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Edward Joseph Hobbs (1430022) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer George Herbert Kendall (J/89860) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant K Mannion (1562926) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant J S B Morgan (1416979) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Gordon Anthony O’Neil Oliver (1422977) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer William Robert Sinclair (410390) (Pilot and Aircraft Captain)
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, 166/37/668