LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Lionel Adolphus WILSON
Service No: 403167
Born: Balmain NSW, 31 January 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 December 1940
Unit: No. 51 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Snaith
Died: Air Operations: (No. 51 Squadron Halifax aircraft LV952), Germany, 5 January 1945, Aged 32 Years
Buried: Hanover War Cemetery, Hanover, Niedersachsen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Adolphus Henry and Alice Tobatha Wilson, of Mayfield, New South Wales, Australia; husband of Beatrice Jean Victoria Wilson, of Mayfield, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Newcastle NSW
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1647 hours on the night of 5 January 1945 Halifax LV952 took off from Snaith detailed to bomb Hanover, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Leinhausen. Six of the crew members were killed and one was taken prisoner.
The crew members of LV952 were:
Flight Sergeant William Gerwyn Bowen (1313633) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Walter Matthew Burton (642138) (RAF) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Alan Leach (185864) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Peter Neale (1896808) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Jack Sidney Staples (1801787) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant D E F Thomsett (1894688) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) PoW
Pilot Officer Lionel Adolphus Wilson (403167) (Wireless Operator Air)
Sergeant Thomsett later stated “I baled out but as the Inter Com was useless I have no knowledge of the others.”
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, 166/43/1065