LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Ronald Reay WONDERS
Service No: 423391
Born: Surry Hills NSW, 5 January 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1942
Unit: No. 50 Squadron (RAF), RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 50 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PD326), North West Europe, 29 October 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Eric and Dorothy Evelyn Wonders, of Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Sydney NSW
Remembered: Panel 258, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster PD326 of 50 Squadron took off form RAF Station Skellingthorpe at 2220 hours on 28 October 1944 to attack U boat pens at Bergen, Norway. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. With no trace of the missing aircraft or crew being found following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1949 that the missing crew had no known grave.
The crew members of PD326 were:
Sergeant George Chaloner (1685320) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Harold Murray Earle (417821) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Dennis Reginald Foster (1851274) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Jack Fearnley (1768132) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Redvers Kenyon (1865927) (RAF) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Vernon Harold Minchin (436054) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Ronald Reay Wonders (423391) (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, 166/44/48