LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Neville Lloyd THORNLEY
Service No: 34772
Born: Hurlstone Park NSW, 13 April 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 November 1940
Unit: No. 80 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 80 Squadron Kittyhawk aircraft A29-671), Halmaheras, 14 January 1945, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas William and Amy Bertha Thornley, of Pymble, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Column 9, Ambon Memorial, Indonesia
Remembered: Panel 104, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Ku-ring-gai World War 2 Book of Remembrance, Gordon NSW
On 14 January 1945, Kittyhawk A29-671 flown by Flight Sergeant Thornley was one of a four aircraft formation detailed to dive bomb the Hatetabako airstrip area. A29-671 entered the dive and was seen to pull out, flip over and crash into the sea. Searches found no trace of the aircraft or Flight Sergeant Thornley.
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, 166/39/439; A9845, 166
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line