LEST WE FORGET

Flying Officer John Richard WELCH

Service No: 413918
Born: Wallsend NSW, 20 November 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 September 1941
Unit: No. 207 Squadron (RAF), RAF Langar, Nottinghamshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 207 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM334), Germany, 28 August 1943, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Durnbach War Cemetery, Bad Tolz, Bayern, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Frederick and Elizabeth Helen Welch, of Concord, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Lancaster LM334 took off from RAF Langar at 2126 hours on the night of 27/28th August 1943, detailed to bomb Nurnberg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A Research & Enquiry report stated that the aircraft crashed at Lohe, and all the crew were killed.

The crew members of LM334 were:

Flight Sergeant Keeble Charles French (415518) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Geoffrey Augustine Lynch (408909) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer Hugh John McCulloch (410698) (Navigator)
Sergeant Leslie Thomas Reynolds (1438887) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant James Seddon (2203354) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer John Richard Welch (413918) (Pilot)
Sergeant Arthur Herbert Whetton (1255976) (RAF) (Rear Gunner)

Bibliography:

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, 166/43/316

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