LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Mark STUART

Service No: 419440
Born: Avoca VIC, 28 August 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 August 1942
Unit: No. 619 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Woodhall Spa
Died: Air Operations: (No. 619 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED977), Germany, 6 January 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Herbert William David and Christine M. Stuart, of Avoca, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Avoca VIC
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

At 0018 hours on the morning of 6 January 1944, Lancaster ED977 took off from Woodhall Spa detailed to bomb Stettin, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed in the target area, and all the crew members were killed.

The crew members of ED977 were:

Sergeant Thomas Bell (1509479) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Reginald William Carpenter (1382644) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Alfred George Day (150228) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant William Dennis Holliday (1604186) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Mark Stuart (419440) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Edwin Ernest Watson (1806714) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Richard Edward Wesson AFM (42946) (RAF) (Air Bomber)

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, 166/38/389

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