LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Stanley Donald WILLS

Service No: 400746
Born: Armadale VIC, 21 March 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 October 1940
Unit: No. 153 Squadron (RAF), Ballyhalbert, Northern Ireland
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 153 Squadron Beaufighter aircraft X7573), Northern Ireland, 26 May 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Ballyhalbert (St Andrew) Church of Ireland Churchyard, County Down, Northern Ireland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Korah Stanley Wills and Helen Pearson Wills, of East St. Kilda, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Malvern VIC
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Beaufighter X7573 crashed at 1500 hours on 26 May 1942 when carrying out a flying test. The crew of three was killed.

The crew members of X7573 were:

Sergeant Gordon Charles Edwards (777621) (RAFVR) (Observer / Radar)
Sergeant William Richard Willis (1212906) (RAFVR) (Observer / Radar)
Flight Sergeant Stanley Donald Wills (400746) (Pilot)

A later report into the flying accident stated “Sergeant Wills was seen to enter a large white cloud in a steep turn at 9,000 feet. Wills was next seen 1,000 feet below heavy cloud and flying in heavy rain towards hills. The aircraft was seen to do a steep turn left and crash. The aircraft entered a thick bank of cloud at 9,000 feet in which icing would be present and the freezing level was 4,500 feet. Flight Lieutenant Styles was cooperating pilot in a second machine.”

General remarks by the Wing Commander Commanding Officer of No. 153 Squadron: “The Pilot must have lost control in the cloud and unable to regain control before it crashed into mountains approximately 1,000 feet high. He had been requested by Flight Lieutenant Styles to keep clear of the storm.”

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, 163/178/325

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