LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Walter John Henry THOMPSON
Service No: 400263
Born: Kensington VIC, 6 August 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 July 1940
Unit: No. 113 Squadron (RAF), Jessore, Bangladesh
Died: Air Operations: (No. 113 Squadron Bisley (Blenheim MkV) aircraft BA622), Burma (Myanmar), 20 December 1942, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Henry Charles and Florence Lucy Thompson, of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; husband of Christina Ann Thompson, of South Melbourne, Victoria.
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Bisley BA622 took off on 20 December 1942 from Agartala as No. 2 in the leading flight of a formation of 18 aircraft. Whiles carrying out a bombing run over the target, Magwe, the aircraft received a direct hit from anti-aircraft fire and burst into flames. The aircraft pulled up over the main formation and then spiralled down completely enveloped in flames. No one was seen to bale out and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of BA622 were:
Lieutenant Noel Thomas Wilkin (102147V) (SAAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Francis James O’Neill (406033) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant Walter John Henry Thompson (400263) (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, 163/166/327