LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Maldwyn David Howell WILLIAMS
Service No: 410761
Born: Castlemaine VIC, 12 May 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 January 1942
Unit: No. 166 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Kirmington
Died: Air Operations: Assault on NW Europe (No. 166 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LL749), France, 27 March 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Choloy War Cemetery, Meurthe-et-Moselle, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward Howell Williams and Margerita Ernard Gladys Williams, of Castlemaine, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Castlemaine VIC
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster LL749 took off from RAF Kirmington at 1945 hours on the night of 26/27 March 1944 detailed to bomb Essen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. It was later learned that the aircraft had been lost over France with six crew members killed and one taken prisoner.
The crew members of LL749 were:
Flight Sergeant A Coney (1530452) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) PoW
Sergeant Alfred William Gowland (1818907) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Warrington Harris (1397160) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant John Joseph McInroy (1820970) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Victor Leonard Perry (1392734) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Maldwyn David Howell Williams (410761) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Lionel Valentine Woodfield (963539) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
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 A9301, 410761