LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Richard Samuel VEALE
Service No: 421140
Born: Acton, England, 5 February 1910
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 December 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 104 Squadron (RAF), Hani West Landing Ground, Tunisia
Died: Air Operations: (No. 104 Squadron Wellington aircraft HE 13), Central Mediterranean, 8 August 1943, Aged 33 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Henry and Esther Veale; husband of Ruby Veale, of Campsie, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 12, Column 2, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wellington HE613 of 104 Squadron took off from Hani West Landing Ground at night on 7 August 1943 to attack Cape Palami, Italy. Cape Palami is on the south west coast of Italy approximately 30 kms north east of Reggio. The aircraft failed to return from this mission. Following post war investigations, it was recorded in 1948 that the missing crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of HE613 were:
Sergeant William John Barriskill (1126133) (RAF) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Kenneth Frank Bristow (658662) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Reginald Arthur Ellis (416554) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Frederick Glyndwr Holmes (1315697) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Daryl Hamilton Smith (411953) (Pilot)
Sergeant Richard Samuel Veale (421140) (Navigator)
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, 166/42/29