LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer William Douglas WILLIS
Service No: 400166
Born: Melbourne VIC, 26 April 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 June 1940
Unit: No. 452 Squadron
Died: Air Operations: (No. 452 Squadron Spitfire aircraft W3512), near Dieppe France, 18 September 1941, Aged 24 Years
Buried: St Marie Cemetery, Seine-Maritime, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry Samuel and Alice Margaret Willis, of Ringwood, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Canterbury VIC
Remembered: Panel 105, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 18 September 1941, Spitfire W3512 flown by Flying Officer Willis was engaged in a sortie over France, approximately five miles south east of Dieppe, when enemy aircraft were encountered. In the ensuing fight 4 Mel09s were destroyed and four No. 452 Squadron and a No. 485 Squadron RNZAF Spitfire were missing, including that flown by Flying Officer Willis.
The Pilots lost were:
Sergeant Charles Frederick Richard Manning (400230) (Pilot W3600)
Flight Sergeant Arthur Ian Paget (402211) (RNZAF) (Pilot AB903)
Sergeant Archibald Roger Stuart (402141) (Pilot P8703) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 30 April 1946
Sergeant Augustine Kenneth Try (402264) (Pilot) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 27 November 1945
Flying Officer William Douglas Willis (400166) (Pilot W3512)
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, 166/64/113