LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Norman Wilkie SPALDING
Service No: 413679
Born: Melbourne 27 February 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 104 Squadron (RAF), Hani West Landing Ground, Tunisia
Died: Air Operations: (No. 104 Squadron Wellington aircraft HE657), Central Mediterranean, 8 August 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Hector Wilkie Spalding and Ann Spalding, of Neutral Bay, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 12, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
Wellington HE657 of No. 104 Squadron took off from Hani West Landing Ground at 2108 hours on the night of 7 August 1943 to attack Cape Palmi, Italy. Cape Palmi is on the south west coast of Italy, about 30 kms north east of Reggio. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Following intensive post war searches of the Cape Palmi area, no trace of the missing aircraft or crew were found, and it was concluded that the crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of HE657 were:
Sergeant Peter Anthony Reginald Chauncy (655480) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Garner (1503921) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Kenneth Hall (1502730) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant James Everest Paterson (414825) (Navigator)
Sergeant Norman Wilkie Spalding (413679) (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, 166/38/225
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line