LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Adrian Grey WILSON
Service No: 416310
Born: Emmaville NSW, 6 March 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 May 1941 (at Melbourne VIC)
Unit: No. 226 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Swanton Morley, Norfolk
Died: Air Operations (No. 226 Squadron Boston aircraft W8354), Netherlands, 25 January 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Flushing (Vlissingen) Northern Cemetery, Zeeland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Francis Grey Wilson and Bessie Wilson, of Brighton, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brighton VIC
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
The DVA record shows Sergeant Wilson’s place of enlistment as Melbourne; however he has a SA Service Number (416XXX) and is listed on the SA Memorial.
Boston W8354 took off from RAF Swanton Morley at 1046 hours on the 25th January 1943, detailed to bomb Vlissingen, Netherlands. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was hit by Kriegsmarine anti-aircraft fire and crashed in the target area at 1147 hours on 25th January 1943. All the crew members were killed
The crew members of W8354 were:
Flying Officer Ronald Herbert Aitchison Evans (119223) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Arthur Stanley Oakes (1230795) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant David John Dudley Thomas (1379101) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Adrian Grey Wilson (416310) (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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/43/37