Featured Story
The FEATURED STORY pays tribute to a person, and or event, connected to 1 W.A.G.S Ballarat.
The story commemorates the valiant RAAF 1 W.A.G.S trainees who served in WW2 in all theatres of war – those who lost their lives and those who returned.
The FEATURED STORY honours -
80th ANNIVERSARY OF LANCASTER ME663 RAAF 460 SQUADRON
Lancaster ME663 of 460 Squadron RAAF based at Binbrook UK was shot down on the 10th April 1944 by a German night-fighter and anti-aircraft fire and crashed near the town of Aale in Denmark. The aircraft was homeward bound after an operation to lay mines in the Baltic.
![1 WAGS LANCASTER ME663 RAAF 460 SQUADRON 1 WAGS LANCASTER ME663 RAAF 460 SQUADRON](https://www.1wags.org.au/content/image/full/featured-stories_1-wags-lancaster-me663-raaf-460-squadron_136.jpg)
'THE BOMBER BOYS' OF LANCASTER ME663
Five of the seven crewmen were killed in the crash and are buried in Esbjerg [Fourfelt] Cemetery in Denmark. Two became PoW with one dying of his injuries during captivity.
CHAPMAN, Leslie Harold [Flight Sergeant] 410641 RAAF Wireless Operator/Air Gunner. Born Stawell, Victoria. KILLED Age 20
CROSBY, Peter Alan [Flight Lieutenant] DFC 416656 RAAF Pilot. Born Brighton South Australia. KILLED Age 20
BILLETT, Clive [Flight Sergeant] 414191 RAAF Bomb /Aimer. Born Darwin, Northern Territory. KILLED Age 25
ROBB, Laurence William [Flying Officer] 418879 RAAF Air Gunner. Born Alexandra, Victoria. Trained at 1 WAGS Ballarat Course 29. KILLED Age 33
BENDER, Milton Harold [Pilot Officer] DFC 173405 RAF Engineer Born Middlesex England. KILLED Age 20
HODGE, Frederick Stanley [Flight Sergeant] DFM 426100 RAAF Rear Gunner. Born Melbourne, Victoria. Taken prisoner by German captors and survived the war. PoW Discharged 28th November 1945
SUFFREN, Charles Edward [Flying Officer] DFC 409280 RAAF Navigator. Born Ballarat, Victoria. Survived but with severe injuries. He passed away in a LUFTWAFFE Military hospital in Germany 10 months after the crash and is buried in Durnbach Cemetery in Germany. PoW
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