LEST WE FORGET

Pilot Officer John Edward TODD

Service No: 418889
Born: Ararat VIC, 16 July 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 June 1942
Unit: No. 115 Squadron (RAF), RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 115 Squadron Lancaster aircraft HK552), France, 8 June 1944, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Montchauvet Communal Cemetery, Yvelines, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward and Mary Todd, of West Brunswick, Victoria, Australia. Certificate of Merit from Royal Humane Society of Australasia
Roll of Honour: Ararat VIC
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Lancaster HK552 took off from RAF Witchford at 0037 hours on the night of 7/8th June 1944, detailed to bomb communications at Chevreusse, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Montchauvet (Yveunes), 13 kms south south west of the town of Mantes-La-Jolie, France. Six of the crew were killed and Flying Officer Tariton became a Prisoner of War.

The crew members of HK552 were:

Flight Sergeant Tom Bamford (626388) (RAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Frederick Morgan (1853794) (RAF) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Albert George Edward Mount (1891923) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Victor Frank Scrivens (1853985) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Ralph Stallwood (1399911) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer A R Tarlton (152311) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Pilot Officer John Edward Todd (418889) (Pilot)

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, 166/40/204

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