454 RAAF Squadron
Martin Baltimore Mk IIIA (A-30)
Warrant OfficerJoseph Augustine SIEBERT
Service No. 416897
Killed in Action : 27th February
1944
<<<<<<>>>>>>
Date of Birth: 21 Jul 1922
Place of Birth: ADELAIDE, SA
Date of Enlistment: 11 Oct 1941
Place of Enlistment: ADELAIDE
Date of Death: 27 Feb 1944
Rank: Warrant Officer
Posting on Death: 454 Squadron
Roll of Honour: GLENELG SA
<<<<<<>>>>>>
The Crew:
Flying Officer A.W. Dawe - (416940)
Warrant Officer J. Rowe - (415359)
Flight Sergeant J.A. Siebert - (416897)
Flight Sergeant R.D. Williams - (415370)
Martin Baltimore Mk IIIA (A-30) -- FA499
Arrived in the Middle East 21st September 1943
Missing on recce. ('recce' = Reconnaissance is
the military term for the active gathering information about
an enemy, or other conditions, by physical observation. It
is part of combat intelligence.)
Believed ditched
about 150nm SW of Cape Matapan – 27 Feb 44
“Alamein to the Alps” by Mark Lax
-- (Pages
109-113 for more information.) - here is an excerpt:
“Five
days after the Livenza attack (rocket firing Beaufighters of
RAF 227 Sqdn. attacked the German vessel Livenza – 22.2.44 –
sinking her) the Squadron suffered another loss. Flying
Officer Arnold Dawe and crew flying FA499:U took off at 0730
hours to carry out a shipping recce along the coast of
western Greece. No sightings were made, but at 1043 hours a
distorted message was received which seemed to suggest they
were in distress.
At 1206 hours, a strong
bearing was plotted which indicated the aircraft was on
course for base. From this time on, the aircraft giving the
position about 100 miles from Benghazi. Shortly afterwards,
all communication was lost and despite an extensive search,
there was no sign of survivors.
A fuel tank and small pieces
of wreckage were later found, and it was assumed the
aircraft broke up on impact with the heavy seas present at
the time. Officially, the aircraft was believed to have
ditched about 150nm SW o Cape Matapan.
Also killed were Warrant
Officer John Rowe, Flight Sergeant John Siebert and Flight
Sergeant Bob Williams.
On the same day, the
squadron had to write off another aircraft, FA468:R, but in
this case, the crew escaped unhurt.”
The War Memorial Listing:
http://www.ww2roll.gov.au/script/veteran.asp?ServiceID=R&VeteranID=1063351
