Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

The son of Ernest Warren, a solicitor of Sydney NSW. Known in his family as ‘Boy’, his mother Alice died in a car accident in Sydney in early 1927. Educated at the prestigious Scots College, Sydney he listed his youthful interests as “competition horse riding, motor cycle racing and football”.
Married to Beatrice Mary Meehan in 1937 and with two young sons, William enlisted in the RAAF on 11 October 1941 age 29 as air crew. After elementary flying training at Mascot, Warren completed pilot training at 6SFTS at Mallala, SA and ‘wings’ were awarded 30 July 1942. F/Sgt Warren embarked Sydney 11 December 1942 and arrived UK 8 March 1943. After 2 months at an Advanced Flying Unit for more training, he was sent to 2 Flying Instructors School in Montrose, Scotland. On 4 August 1943 Flying Officer Warren commenced as a Flying Instructor, first at Weston-on-the-Green and later at Castle Combe, Wiltshire. Released from Instructor duties 5 September 1944 at his own request, Warren completed a Heavy Conversion Unit course and in February 1945 joined 460 Squadron RAAF at Binbrook, Lincolnshire as a Lancaster bomber pilot. Before operational flying, he and his crew undertook more training, and on a night training flight over Lincolnshire on 3/4 March 1945 in Lancaster AR-J, (in his own words) “Attacked by intruder JU 88 (no intruder warning). Two members of crew killed in first attack, 2 injured. Aircraft on fire and damaged, carried out crash landing in field when all engines cut at 1200ft. Time 0100 hrs….injured members successfully removed from aircraft with first class cooperation of other crew members..”
Operational flying started 25 March 1945 with a daylight raid on Hanover (flying as second pilot to Sqn Ldr Henderson DSO, DFC). Further missions as first pilot followed (Paderborn, Hamburg, Kiel, Potsdam and Heligoland). From 30 April to 7 May 1945 he flew 5 missions to drop food supplies to the starving people of Holland (Operation Manna) and one final flight on 11 May 1945 to recover allied POWs from Brussels. Flying Officer Warren returned to Sydney November 1945 and was discharged April 1946 with the rank of Flight Lieutenant. His father Ernest had died in 1944 whilst he was overseas. Electoral Rolls show them living at the same Five Dock NSW address in the 1960’s. Beatrice died in 1970 and William was still at the same Five Dock address in 1980. He died on 24 July 1987 aged 75.