40 Sqd airmen losses

**Taff_S** · 28th April 2013, 13:40

Hi all,

I have two airmen who were lost in May 1944 and may be part of the same crew, they are as follows:

Sgt Leslie John Carey - 1298815 - lost 8/5/44
F/L Gordon Wallace Williams - 118554 - lost 8/5/44

Both buried in Bucharest War Cemtery, as usual any information is welcomed.

Thank you.

Steve S

**COL BRUGGY** · 28th April 2013, 14:29

Hello,

7/8 May 1944
No.40 sqn
Wellington X ME878 'X'
Op: Bucharest.

Hit by flak soon after bombing. The rear gunner baled out at very low level. A/c. crashed at Vartoapele, 11km S of Belciug, Romania. The dead are buried in Bucharest War cemetery.

118554 F/Lt (Pilot) Gordon Wallace WILLIAMS DFC RAFVR +
R/141415 W/O (Nav.) Leslie Frederick DUTTON RCAF +
1393275 Flt/Sgt (Air Bomber) Frederick William Arthur HEAD RAFVR +
1298815 Sgt (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Leslie John CAREY* RAFVR +
120174 F/O (Air Gnr.) Horace Douglas CALVERT RAFVR - PoW

See:
Sweeping the Skies:A History of No.40 squadron, RFC and RAF, 1916-56.
Gunby,David
Bishop Auckland:Pentland Press,1991
pp.264 & 376

* Sgt Carey lost a brother, P/MX 63625 LSA. Daniel Arthur Basil CAREY RN., on 24-5-1941. He was aboard the HMS HOOD.

Col.

**David Gunby** · 29th April 2013, 00:49

I was in correspondence with Douglas Calvert not long before his death, and he told me that he was posted to 40 in September 1943 as Gunnery Leader, after tours as a gunner on Coastal Command Hudsons and Catalinas, and since he was essentially a 'spare bod' flew with various crews. He got out of the crashing Wellington at less than a 1,000 feet.

David

**Taff_S** · 1st May 2013, 17:34

Hi Col,

Thanks once again for the relevant information, record updated, cheers. Is the History of No.40 Sqd still available, tried Amazon but it was unavailable.

Steve S

**ian94avenge** · 1st May 2013, 20:04

Hello Steve,

Via Bookfinder copies are still around (in Australia and Canada) but you had better be sat down - £148 and £118 respectively.

Regards,

Ian