Donald Curtis WALCH DFC

WALCH, Donald Curtis

Service Number: 404489
Enlisted: 13 September 1940
Last Rank: Flight Lieutenant
Last Unit: No. 21 Squadron (RAF)
Born: HOBART, TAS, 5 March 1908
Home Town: Launceston, Launceston, Tasmania
Schooling: Not yet discovered
Occupation: Not yet discovered
Died: Launceston, 22 May 1968, aged 60 years, cause of death not yet discovered
Cemetery: Carr Villa War Cemetery, Launceston, Tasmania
Monumental, Section A10, 432 MEMORIAL ID 212985129 · View Source
Memorials: Ballarat Australian Ex-Prisoners of War Memorial, Tasmania (Launceston) Garden of Remembrance
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World War 2 Service

13 Sep 1940: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 404489, Aircrew Training Units
19 Aug 1942: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, 404489, No. 226 Squadron (RAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45, Don Walch did indeed serve on 226 Sqn. He was 39236 S/L Graham Reese 'Digger' Magill's regular navigator. A snippet from Norman Frank's, "The Greatest Air Battle Dieppe, 19 August 1942 (p.40): "Magill got back safely although his machine (226 Sqn Boston III Z2295 MQ-A), was damaged. Not for the first time did the crest on his Boston get them Home. His usual crew was Pilot Officer Donald Walch, from Tasmania, as navigator, and 'Taffy' Gubbins, air gunner. (Gubbins was away on 19 August, his place being taken by Sergeant S Praeger). The crest consisted of a kangaroo, a kiwi and a welsh dragon on a boomerang, ensuring a return ticket, they hoped!"
5 Jan 1944: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 404489, No. 180 Squadron (RAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45
25 Jan 1944: Honoured Distinguished Flying Cross, Air War NW Europe 1939-45, No, 180 Squadron (RAF) Commonwealth of Australia Gazette 3 February 1944 on page 210 at position 4 London Gazette 25 January 1944 on page 483 at position 3
25 Jun 1944: Imprisoned Air War NW Europe 1939-45, 25-6-1944 No.21 Sqn Mosquito VI LR373 In a borrowed aircraft, W/C Braham set out on a day patrol to Denmark. His aircraft was intercepted by Fw Robert SPRECKELS, of Stab./JG 1, and shot down into the sea. Braham and his navigator were rescued by a German vessel and became PoWs 40667 W/C (Pilot) John Robert Daniel BRAHAM DSO**DFC** - PoW AUS404489 F/L (Nav.) Donald Curtis WALCH DFC RAAF - PoW Interned Stalag Luft III
25 Jun 1944: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 404489, No. 21 Squadron (RAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45
16 Apr 1946: Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Lieutenant, 404489

Denmark Patrol

25-6-1944 No.21 Sqn Mosquito VI LR373

In a borrowed aircraft, W/C Braham set out on a day patrol to Denmark. His aircraft was intercepted by Fw Robert SPRECKELS, of Stab./JG 1, and shot down into the sea.
Braham and his navigator were rescued by a German vessel and became PoWs

40667 W/C (Pilot) John Robert Daniel BRAHAM DSO**DFC** - PoW
AUS404489 F/L (Nav.) Donald Curtis WALCH DFC RAAF
PoW Interned Stalag Luft III

Raid on Dieppe

Don Walch did indeed serve on 226 Sqn. He was 39236 S/L Graham Reese 'Digger' Magill's regular navigator. A snippet from Norman Frank's, "The Greatest Air Battle Dieppe, 19 August 1942 (p.40):

"Magill got back safely although his machine (226 Sqn Boston III Z2295 MQ-A), was damaged. Not for the first time did the crest on his Boston get them Home. His usual crew was Pilot Officer Donald Walch, from Tasmania, as navigator, and 'Taffy' Gubbins, air gunner. (Gubbins was away on 19 August, his place being taken by Sergeant S Praeger). The crest consisted of a kangaroo, a kiwi and a welsh dragon on a boomerang, ensuring a return ticket, they hoped!"

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