454 RAAF Squadron : 9.10.42 - 11.12.43
Flight Lieutenant
Raymond Gordon
AKHURST -- DFM
RAFVR Pilot No.
149940
<<>>
OPERATION "THESIS"
A retaliatory raid
that would be a large combined air strike against various
ports and military establishments on Crete. 8 crews
were chosen for this mission. Akhurst's plane was
Number 2 to Folkhard.
FLIGHT CREW - FA 390 -
FIRST WAVE - 23.7.1943
Squadron Leader L.H. Folkard,
RAFVR
Flight Sergeant R.G. Akhurst, RAFVR
Flight Sergeant R.H. Lawrence, RAAF
Flight Sergeant J. Bastian, RAAF
Sergeant E. Nicherterlain, RAAF - [wounded
in action ]
One of 8 crews selected for the
"Thesis" Raid of Crete was to relieve pressure from the
German operation "Huskey" - the Allied invasion of Sicily
and avenge the execution of 100 Cretans who had been shot
after assisting a Commando raid on the island.
454 were to provide 2 box
formations of 4 aircraft each - each loaded with six 250 lb
bombs. A 230 mile flight. The mission resulted
in 5 aircraft lost over Crete. You can read
more about this mission in Mark Lax's book "Alamein To The
Alps". (for details on this book go to our
News Page).
Mark has the full story in his
book :
"Akhurst's plane was
approaching Ma-lemme aerodrome, a large Luftwaffe base and
the AA fire at 50 feet claimed an easy target, the plane hit
the water and despite the heavy impact all survived the
crash and their navigator Nichterlein suffered a badly
broken leg. Amazingly the aircraft floated ashore the
next morning. The empty fuel tanks giving the plane
buoyancy.
Akhurst's plane - the salvage crew examine the wreck of
FA 390 A
<<<<>>>>
The
following information on Ray Akhurst was provided by
Andrew Brockett.
"I am what
is sometimes grandly called a "postal historian" -
bacically a collector of old envelopes and one of my
main interests is RAAF mail from WW2. I recently came
across this envelope, sent from Kenya in Dec.1943.
P/O Akhurst was a South African and a member of the
RAFVR, I also found this interesting entry":
"The
Squadron's worst operational day occurred on 23rd
July,1943, when eight 454 Squadron Baltimores, led by
Sqd.Ldr.Lionel Folkard and accompanied by fighters, made
a daylight low level offensive over Northern Crete. Six
Baltimores and five crews were lost. F/Sgt.Akhurst's
crew survived after scrambling out on one motor at low
level and "ditching" just off Gambut. Akhurst's
immediate award of (DFM) was the Squadrons first
decoration". It looks as though Akhurst had left 454 by
Dec 1943 - see the re-direction in red pencil to 75 OTU.
I wonder if any of your members remember Akhurst or what
became of him."
The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve (Training) Branch,
often abbreviated to RAFVR(T) is a voluntary element
of the British Royal Air Force. -- see "Our
History" page.
