LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer James Alphonsus UPTON
Service No: 410203
Born: Casterton VIC, 12 June 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 December 1941
Unit: No. 15 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Mildenhall
Died: Air Operations: (No. 15 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LL827), France, 16 July 1944, Aged 30 Years
Buried: St Gibrien Churchyard, Marne, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Thomas Upton and Margaret Upton, of Casterton, Victoria. Australia
Roll of Honour: Casterton VIC
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2141 hours on the night of 15 July 1944 Lancaster LL827 took off from Mildenhall to bomb the rail yards at Chalons-sur-Marne. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. It was later established that the aircraft was shot down and crashed at St Gibrien, France. All the crew members had been killed.
The crew members of LL827 were:
Flight Sergeant Francis Robert Ashcroft (1578476) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Eric Attenborrow (1580420) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Sergeant Ernest Donald Carmichael (1832828) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Warrant Officer II John Alexander McLennan (R/50312) (RCAF) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Clifford Sykes (2209656) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Dennis George Tarbin (1874644) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Warrant Officer John Alphonsus Upton (410203) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/41/17