LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Leonard David WATSON

Service No: 402813
Born: Glenbrook NSW, 30 October 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 October 1940
Unit: No. 27 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Lichfield, Staffordshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 27 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft X 3547), Cheshire, 20 March 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Byley (St John) Churchyard, Cheshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James and Nina Beryl Watson, of Casino, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Casino NSW
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Flight Sergeant Watson was one of three sons in the RAAF (air crew) all of whom were killed in WWII. His brothers are Flying Officer Malcolm Douglas Watson (420314) and Flying Officer Maxwell Thomas Lockwood Watson (420328)

On the 20 March 1943, Wellington X3547 took off from RAF Lichfield detailed to carry out a cine camera gun exercise. The aircraft crashed at 1520 hours after flying into a barrage balloon cable at Barrows Green in the northeast outskirts of Crewe, Cheshire, killing all crew members.

The crew members of X 3574 were:

Sergeant Frank Ronald Conway (1218971) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Leonard John Coppins (628893) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant William Dennis Keith Forbes (401498) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Leslie Frederick Hills (997003) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Henry Thomas Holley (911325) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant John Ernest Rouse (1318732) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Leonard David Watson (402813) (Pilot)
Sergeant Douglas Williams (1316166) (RAFVR) (Second 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, 166/43/103

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