Memorial honours lost Australian airmen.

[Peter Clare]

A MEMORIAL in England will honour the lives of two Australian airmen who died in World War II, although the true cause of their deaths might be forever ''lost in the web of war''.
Leonard Lean, 22, of Lindfield, died after his Lancaster bomber crashed on April 10, 1943. It was his last night-training flight before being assigned to a squadron. His crew mate, flight engineer Frank Dunkin, 21, from Armidale, was also killed.


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Memorial honours lost airmen


Details of the above losses........

10 April 1943

1661 HCU
Lancaster III ED823
Op Training

Took off from Winthorpe for a night training exercise. Crashed at around 0125 hrs after flying into high tension wires off school lane at the village of Halam 11 miles north east from the centre of Nottingham.

Crew.

F/S. L W. Lean RAAF +
Sgt. F. Dunkin RAAF +
F/O. E. Lambert +
Sgt. H U. Oxspring +
Sgt. W S L. Graham +
F/S. R D. Lewis RCAF +
Sgt. W G. Stephenson +

Taken from ' Bomber Command Losses' Vol.8 - W R. Chorley

[spidge]

This is what I have on the crash.

RAAF FATALITIES IN SECOND WORLD WAR AMONG
RAAF PERSONNEL SERVING ON ATTACHMENT
IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SQUADRONS AND SUPPORT UNITS

Source:
AWM 237 (65) NAA : A705, 166/10/35 Commonwealth War Graves records
W R Chorley : RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, 1939-1947,
Page 45, Volume 8.
Aircraft Type: Lancaster
Serial number: ED 823
Radio call sign:
Unit: 1661 Conversion RAF
Summary:
On the night of the 9/10th April 1943, Lancaster ED823 took off from RAF Winthorpe for
a night training exercise. Shortly after take off the aircraft crashed at about 0125 hours,
after flying into high tension wires, off School Lane at the village of Halam, 11 miles
from the centre of Nottingham, and all on board were killed.
The aircraft appeared to be in good flying order with its navigation lights on before the
crash. The point of impact indicated the aircraft was straight and level and travelling at
speed The crew were a pupil crew on their final training exercise before operations.
Crew:
RAAF 411919 Flt Sgt L W Lean Captain (Pilot)
RAAF 14885 Sgt F Dunkin, (Fitter 2A/Flight Engineer)
RAF FO Lambert, E (Navigator)
RAF Sgt H U Oxspring, (Air Bomber)
RAF Sgt W S L Graham, (Wireless Air Gunner)
RCAF Sgt R D Lewis, (Air Gunner)
RAF Sgt W G Stephenson, (Air Gunner)
Flt Sgt Lean, and Sgt’s Dunkin and Lewis are buried in the Newark-upon-Trent
Cemetery, UK.
FO Lambert is buried in the Fleetwood Borough Cemetery, UK.
Sgt Oxspring is buried in the Royland Nether Cemetery, UK.
Sgt Graham is buried in the Glasgow Western Necropolis, Scotland.
Sgt Stephenson is buried in the Leicester (Gilroes) Cemetery, UK.
216

Lean_LW.jpg

Dunkin_Frank.jpg

In Memory of
Flight Sergeant LEONARD WENTWORTH LEAN

411919, Royal Australian Air Force
who died age 22
on 09 April 1943
Son of Samuel Francis and Elsie May Lean, of Lindfield, New South Wales, Australia.
Remembered with honour
NEWARK-UPON-TRENT CEMETERY


In Memory of
Sergeant FRANK DUNKIN

14855, Royal Australian Air Force
who died age 21
on 09 April 1943
Son of George and Henrietta Dunkin, of Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
Remembered with honour
NEWARK-UPON-TRENT CEMETERY


In Memory of
Flying Officer EDWARD LAMBERT

127064, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 34
on 10 April 1943
Son of William and Margaret Lambert; husband of Lavinia Lambert, of Bolton.
Remembered with honour
FLEETWOOD BOROUGH CEMETERY


In Memory of
Sergeant HENRY UTLEY OXSPRING

1087359, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 27
on 10 April 1943
Son of Joseph Henry Utley Oxspring and Florence Oxspring, of Hoyland Common.
Remembered with honour
HOYLAND NETHER CEMETERY


In Memory of
Sergeant WILLIAM SHEARER LINDSAY GRAHAM

1345277, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 20
on 10 April 1943
Son of Robert and May Graham, of Maryhill, Glasgow.
Remembered with honour
GLASGOW WESTERN NECROPOLIS


In Memory of
Flight Sergeant RAYMOND DAVID LEWIS

R/115799, Royal Canadian Air Force
who died age 22
on 10 April 1943
Son of Bertram W. Lewis and Anna B. Lewis, of Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada.
Remembered with honour
NEWARK-UPON-TRENT CEMETERY


In Memory of
Sergeant WILLIAM GEORGE STEPHENSON

1231524, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
who died age 21
on 10 April 1943

Remembered with honour
LEICESTER (GILROES) CEMETERY