LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant William Kenneth WOOD

Service No: 28031
Born: Solomontown SA, 30 May 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 May 1940
Unit: No. 115 Squadron (RAF), RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 115 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LL729), Bedfordshire, 21 February 1944, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harold Robert and Mary Belle Wood.
Roll of Honour: Whyalla SA
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide

Lancaster LL729 took off from RAF Witchford at 0017 hours on the morning of 21 February 1944, detailed to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. When homebound from the mission the aircraft crashed at 0645 hours at Shillington, 18 kms south south east of Bedford. The aircraft was observed circling in the vicinity of Shillington and go into a spin and crash at high speed. All the crew members were killed in the crash.

The crew members of LL729 were:

Sergeant Christopher Richard Batchelor (1581875) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Walter Victor Lawrence Edwards (924350) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Frederick Ernest Hosgood (1852744) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant George Hulley (967597) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Ronald Melton (1577288) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Howie Paton (423326) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant William Kenneth Wood (28031) (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, 166/44/105

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