LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Neville John VEECH
Service No: 412765
Born: Coonabarabran NSW, 2 August 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF:
Unit: No. 623 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Downham Market
Died: Air Operations: (No. 623 Squadron Stirling aircraft LK387), North Sea, 5 December 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John and Philomenia Veech, of Parkes, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Wellington NSW
Remembered: Panel 191, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Wellington Cenotaph, Wellington NSW
At 2341 hours on 4 December 1943 Stirling LK387 took off from Downham Market to carry out a mining mission in enemy waters codenamed “Nectarines”. The locality of the mission was an area 53deg51min.42secs north to 06deg30min.42 secs east, which is area off the coast of Holland. The aircraft carried six mines. Following post war enquiries and investigations it was concluded that the missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of LK387 were:
Sergeant John Sydney Bates (1800729) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant John Desmond Hickling (911628) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Alan George Norton (12580520 (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Arthur David Peacock (1339367) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant John Phillips (1631900) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Wilfred Kastner Sutherland (R/143237) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
Pilot Officer Neville John Veech (412765) (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, 166/42/52
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line