Wellington HX602 - 458 RAAF Sqn

[Henk Welting]

Missing from patrol 7-2-1943.
Crew buried Suez War Mem. Cem.:
F/Sgt (Pilot) Howard D. EVERINGHAM - RAAF 402736;
Sgt (Pilot) Gordon W. KNOX - 1135628;
Sgt (Obs) Eric L. RAYNER - 1286457, and
Sgt (-?-) David DUNNETT - 1266506.
One of the survivors may have been Sgt (-?-) Colin McCREA - RAAF 411345.
Looking for the crash location and other crew who may have survived the accident.
Regards and thanks for your help.
Henk.

[AlanW]

Henk,
458sqdn ORB does not show this loss on date given, the only loss around this date was HX594, crashed after take-off, crew ok.

[Marks]

Hi Henk,

I don't know if you have come across, these details before :-

http://www.awm.gov.au/catalogue/research_centre/pdf/rc09125z010_1.pdf

Page 15

Mark

[AlanW]

After Mark's input, can confirm death as 17/02/43, recorded in ORB

[PennfieldParish]

Hi Henk,

According to Alan Storr's material: "Wellington HX722 on 7 February 1943 on returning from an operational mission to
bomb Candia crash landed on the runway at Shallufah at 0850 hours and it is believed a bomb exploded. The aircraft was a complete wreck and four members of the crew were killed with a fifth member being thrown clear."

The crew member thrown clear is recorded Sgt McCrae (AUS411345) (WAG) and Sgt. Dunnett is also listed as a WAG.

On Flt Sgt Everingham’s RAAF Casualty file (A705, 166/12/7) a Death Certificate was issued recording his Date of Death as 7/2/1943. This was later cancelled and a new Death Certificate issued showing Everingham’s Date of Death as 17/2/1943.

Regards,
Christian

[Henk Welting]

Thanks friends for all your comments. I'm really flabbergasted from this loss. EVERINGHAM's death at the CWGC still listed 7-2-1943. Air Britain for HX722: Missing from patrol 25-3-1943 !! For 17-2-1943 and 458 Sqn I've Wellington VIII serial HX688 crashed at Shallufa. TSGNO (Allison) however has HX688 as a loss on 16/17-4-1943 !! and two Canadians (W/O² A.R. TWISS - R/95449 and W/O² W.J. WATTERS - R/86348) buried Enfidaville, Tunisia. Let's see what Col may add to this.
Regards,
Henk.

[Henk Welting]

Forgot to add that HX688 was confirmed by NAA in F/O (Pilot) M.A. HARLAND's file (RAAF 403336 - 104 Sqn). For this serial also on file as casualties: F/Sgt (Pilot) D.B. PANTING - 114393 and Sgt (WOp/Ag) L. LEWIS - 1203613, all three also buried Enfidaville War Cem.


Henk.

[David Gunby]

I have the pilot as F/Lt (not F/Sgt) Denis Panting. Full crew was Harland, Canadians Watters and Twiss, and Sgt Lewis. Definitely a 104 Sqn loss, about which F R Chappell writes in his Wellington Wings, p. 158, describing Denis Panting as 'our racing motorist pilot - the perfect film type'. Of Harland Chappell writes: 'Mike Harland, the second pilot, is an Australian who recently joined the squadron and this was his first operation'.

Their aircraft was reported as seen in flames over the target, St. Marie du Zit airfield.

David