8.6.1940 - 1.6.42

Service No. 22831

LAC Wal Reid

Date of Birth:  10.3.1919

Place of Birth: Brisbane, Queensland Australia

Date of Enlistment : 8 July 1940

Killed in Action - 1 June 1942

Posting on Death: 459 Squadron

Rank: Leading Aircraftman

Roll of Honour : Toowong QLD

​

<<<<<<>>>>>>

 

THE CREW:  FLIGHT HUDSON V8997 from No. 107MU at Kasfareet

Pilot - Sergeant Frank Leavy

Flight Sergeant - Oliver Willis Osborne

Flight Sergeant - Campbell 'Cam' Stephen

Flight Sergeant - Stanley Andrew Unger

​

Ground Crew:

Flight Sergeant - Arthur Leslie Chirnside

Leading Aircraftman -  Robert James - Aitken - RAAF 32510

Leading Aircraftman - Wallace David 'Wal' Reid

 

 

<<<<<<>>>>>>

 

Shipping Strikes - Hudsons

On 19.4.42 K.S. Hennock assumed command as Wing Commander. Hudson aircraft continued to arrive, and by  May the Squadron had moved to its own airfield at Behig.  On 1.6.42 the first squadron sortie flown was to be the  forerunner of three years of concentrated effort in a wide variety of roles.  In a period of three weeks from  28.7.42 to 17.8.42 Squadron Hudsons claimed as destroyed 17 F-Boats and 3 others damaged, for the loss of 5 crews in very low level attacks. F-Boats were landing barges, heavily armed for their size (approx. 300 tons displacement), ferrying fuel, vital equipment, and stores for Rommel's rapidly advancing Axis forces driving past Mersa Matruh  towards Alamein and the Nile Delta area. Successful mast head dawn attacks by several squadrons, including No. 459, towards silhouetted targets stopped this supply line. Depth charges had been replaced by  sticks of 100lb bombs for 459's shipping attacks.

 

<<<<>>>>

 

The Squadron finally had its own airfield but a horrific accident took place and was witnessed by Syd Wickham who was Acting 'B' Flight Commander at the time, he recalled:

 

"I heard an aircraft on the circuit, picked up the field glasses to read off the identification letters and walked outside the Flight tent. I focused the glasses and in trying to read the letter I realised my body was twisting over sideways.  I thought, this is odd, stood up straight and dropped the glasses in horror, as the aircraft rolled completely over and crashed at the end of the runway.  There was no hope for anyone to survive the crash, much less the instantaneous inferno that followed.  The pilot was Sergeant Leavey and a good pilot too.

 

In a tight steep turn the aircraft appeared to have done a high-speed stall.  The fire tender was slow getting to the scene, but it couldn't be effective and I was too devastated to complain."

 

<<<<<<>>>>>>

 

Pilot Sergeant Frank Leavey was returning from Kasfareet where modifications had been carried out on its Wright Cyclone engines to improve oil consumption.  three of those killed when the aircraft crashed on its return were ground crew fitters who had been taken to 107 MU to assist with the modifications.  Understandably, there was considerable concern as to what had caused the tragedy, as it did not appear that an engine had cut.  Another fitter, Stan Charington, who had been waiting at the airfield for the return of his friend Bob Aitken (RAAF) who was on board, gave a similar explanation to that of Syd Wickham.

 

"The pilot overshot the strip, then on banking with the large wing flaps extended, turned into the wind for second approach.  According to those watching, at 150 feet that was inviting disaster.  The port wing stalled, the nose dropped and it was all over"

 

<<<<<<>>>>>>

 

Ray Heathwood commented: "The best chaps one could ever wish to meet...and they're going like flies".