LEST WE FORGET

Flying Officer Keith WEBER

Service No: 424929
Born: Toowoomba QLD, 31 October 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 640 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Leconfield
Died: Air Operations: (No. 640 Squadron Halifax aircraft NP953), Germany, 15 February 1945, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Berlin1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edwin Gilbert and Elsie Weber, of Walgett, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Walgett NSW
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

At 1702 hours on the night of 14 February 1945, Halifax NP953 took off from Leconfield detailed to bomb Chemnitz, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Pockhau, 24 kms south west of Chemnitz, Germany. Six of the crew were members killed and one became a Prisoner of War.

The crew members of NP953 were:

Pilot Officer Norman Robert Lamphear (C/93898) (RCAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Robert Henry Lock (429235) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant R S Hall (1812950) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Sergeant Stanley John Price (2209960) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant George Denis Stean (1800692) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant William Samuel Henry Strong DFM (527668) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Keith Weber (424929) (Pilot)

In a PoW report Flight Sergeant Hall stated: “after three fighter attacks the aircraft spun into the ground and crashed. I blacked out and must have been blown through the emergency hatch. None had left before me. I don’t think they would have had time as the aircraft developed a spin after the abandon order was given.”

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, 166/43/1168

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