LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Leslie WOODS
Service No: 414859
Born: Castleford, England, 31 December 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941 (at Brisbane QLD)
Unit: No. 7 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Station Limavady, County Londonderry
Died: Aircraft accident (No. 7 Operational Training Unit Wellington aircraft DV664), off Northern Ireland, 28 November 1943, Aged 29 Years
Buried: Drumachose (Christ Church) Church of Ireland Churchyard, Limavady, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry and Mary Woods; husband of Elsie May Woods, of Mount Tamborine, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Canungra QLD
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 28 November 1943 Wellington DV664 took off from Limavady to carry out non-operational bombing practice. At 1220 hours the aircraft was seen to bomb the target from a low level, carry out a turn to starboard at about 200 feet, straighten out and then dive directly into the sea. It was considered that the aircraft had possibly stalled. There were strong winds and heavy seas at the time. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of DV664 were:
Sergeant Geoffrey Albert Bennet (1323266) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Flying Officer John Burton Knight (132409) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant James Wilfred Marshall (409167) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Cyril Albert Stout (1321728) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Phil Waite (133073) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Leslie Woods (414859) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
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, 166/44/69