LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Francis Llewellyn WEBSTER
Service No: 425084
Born: Melbourne VIC, 12 February 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 December 1941 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 58 Squadron (RAF), operating from RAF Station Brawdy, Dyfed
Died: Air Operations: (No. 58 Squadron Halifax aircraft HX225), Bay of Biscay, 12 March 1944, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Duncan and Mabel Grace Webster, of Yallourn, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 262, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1755 hours on 11 March 1944 Halifax HX225 took off from from RAF Brawdy to carry out an anti-submarine patrol in the Bay of Biscay. At 0117 hours on 12 March a signal was received from the aircraft which broke off before completion. Nothing further was heard from HX225 and it failed to return to base. It was believed that the aircraft was attacking and was shot down by a U Boat. It was later recorded that the missing crew members had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of HX225 were:
Warrant Officer Robert James Bonar (639601) (RAF) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Leslie Alec Hayward DFM (124123) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Robert Joseph McCormick (J/89884) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Thomas Parkes (1232842) (RAF) (Third Wireless Operator Air)
Sergeant Ronald Alfred Potter (1604343) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer William Joseph Rice (133451) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Francis Llewellyn Webster (425084) (Second Wireless Operator Air)
Flying Officer John Wilson (135456) (RAFVR) (First Wireless Operator Air)
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, 166/43/555