LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Edward George WICKY DFC
Service No: 422783
Born: Bellingen NSW, 28 September 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 May 1942
Unit: No. 464 Squadron
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 26 January 1945 (Citation Title: No. 464 Squadron)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 464 Squadron Mosquito aircraft PZ452), Hampshire, 4 February 1945, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edouard Jean and Rita Wicky, of Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Manly NSW
Remembered: Panel 109, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Manly ANZAC War Memorial, Manly NSW
Mosquito PZ452 took off from RAF Thorney Island at 2115 hours on the night of 3/4th February 1945, being part of a force of 17 aircraft from the Squadron detailed to attack enemy targets including barges, woods, and factories behind the battle area. PZ452 crashed on return from the mission. The aircraft crashed on high ground at Horndean, and both crew members were killed. At the time the weather was very bad over the base with the cloud base down to 100-800 feet. The Pilot was in touch by radio a few minutes before the crash and made no mention of difficulties.
The crew members of PZ452 were:
Pilot Officer Oswald Mountford DFC (422628) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Edward George Wicky DFC (422783) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/43/1135
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Lax, M. (Mark) and Leon Kane-Maguire The Gestapo Hunters: 464 Squadron RAAF 1942-5, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 1999
Vincent, D. (David) Mosquito Monograph: A history of Mosquitoes in Australia and RAAF operations, David Vincent Highbury SA 5089, 1982