LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant William Ross WICKS DFM

Service No: 420369
Born: Inverell NSW, 1 November 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 October 1921
Unit: No. 12 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Wickenby
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (DFM)
Died: Air Operations (No. 12 Squadron Lancaster aircraft DV171), over the Dutch Coast, 27 September 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry Edward and Jane Wicks, of Inverell, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Inverell NSW
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

DFM Citation: Flight Sergeant Wicks has completed many successful operations against the enemy in which he has displayed high courage, fortitude and devotion to duty. (London Gazette 12 November 1943)

Lancaster DV171 took off from Wickenby at 1500 hours on 27 September 1943 to bomb Hanover, Germany. At 2145 hours when the aircraft was on the return journey at a height of 12,000 feet, the aircraft was subject to heavy anti-aircraft fire over the Dutch coast in the vicinity of the southern end of Texel Island. The top half of the mid upper turret was shot away and Flight Sergeant Wicks the Mid Upper Gunner was killed instantly. The starboard wing was also holed and the No. 2 starboard petrol tank damaged. There were no casualties among the other crew and the aircraft landed at RAF Wickenby at 0050 hours on 28 September 1943.

The crew members of DV171 were:

Sergeant G A Anderson (1061824) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant R W Bell (1149158) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Pilot Officer Mervyn Durham Gillman DFC (404333) (Pilot) Killed in an Aircraft Accident: 16 January 1944
Flight Sergeant A C Miller (416663) (RNZAF) (Rear Gunner)
Pilot Officer R W Pearson (149132) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant L W Smith (937181) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant William Ross Wicks DFM (420369) (Mid Upper Gunner)

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 166/43/362

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