LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer John Daniel WEST
Service No: 410198
Born: North Melbourne VIC, 5 March 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 December 1941
Unit: No. 150 Squadron (RAF), Kairouan West, Tunisia
Died: Air Operations: (No. 150 Squadron Wellington aircraft HZ811), Mediterranean, 24 September 1943, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry and Ivy Ellen West, of Essendon, Victoria, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 11, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wellington HZ811 of 150 Squadron was one of a number of Squadron aircraft to attack barges and harbour installations at Leghorn, Italy. HZ 811 took off at 1845 hours on 24 September 1943. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations when no trace of the missing aircraft or crew was located, it was recorded in 1948 that the crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of HZ811 were:
Flight Sergeant Richard Roy Godfrey (415521) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Donnelly Coombe Meyer (409566) (Navigator Acting Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Neville James Ninnes Veal (421059) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer John Daniel West (410198) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Eric Owen Stoddart Williams (409340) (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, 166/43/358