MIDDLETON, Charles Gordon
| Service Number: | 437314 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 2 January 1943 |
| Last Rank: | Flying Officer |
| Last Unit: | No. 460 Squadron (RAAF) |
| Born: | Broken Hill, New South Wales, Australia, 20 July 1921 |
| Home Town: | Broken Hill, Broken Hill Municipality, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Mining Engineer |
| Died: | Flying Battle, Over Stuttgart Germany, 19 October 1944, aged 23 years |
| Cemetery: |
Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany Coll. Grave Plot 8. Row C. Grave 26-30 Local Roll of Honour- Broken Hill NSW, Durnbach War Cemetery, Bavaria, Germany |
| Memorials: | Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial, North Broken Hill Ltd. Staff Honour Roll WW2 |
World War 2 Service
| 2 Jan 1943: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 437314 | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Jan 1943: | Involvement Flying Officer, 437314 | |
| 2 Jan 1943: | Enlisted Adelaide | |
| 2 Jan 1943: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 437314, No. 1 Initial Training School Somers | |
| 27 Mar 1943: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Leading Aircraftman | |
| 10 Feb 1944: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Sergeant | |
| 11 Feb 1944: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer | |
| 11 Aug 1944: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer | |
| 28 Sep 1944: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 437314, No. 460 Squadron (RAAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement |
19 October 1944
Charles Middleton served in 460 Squadron, part of Bomber Command based at Binbrook, England.
On the night of 19 October 1944 he was in a plane which took part in a raid on Stuttgart. The aircraft was a four-engined Lancaster bomber from 460 Squadron. 460 Squadron was predominantly made up of Australian RAAF personnel. The plane's squadron lettering was AR-Z and serial number PB152. The other crew members were:
Pilot Flight Officer Peter FONTAINE (Australian)
Engineer Sergeant Arthur CHISMAN (English)
Navigator Warrant Officer Reginald George Bain (Australian)
Bomb Aimer Flight Officer Charles MIDDLETON (Australian)
Wireless Operator Flight Sergeant George NEWMAN (Australian)
Mid-upper Gunner Warrant Officer Reginald KRUTLI (Australian)
Tail Gunner Flight Sergeant Edward KENEALY (Australian)
The plane was shot down by a German Junkers 88 night fighter near Tubingen, Germany. The only survivor was the Navigator, Reginald George BAIN. His account of the night and his subsequent time as a POW can be found under his name on this VWMA website. In 2003, Reg Bain fulfilled a life-long wish to return to Germany to pay his respects to his fellow crew members. He visited the site of their crash near Tubingen and their graves in Durnbach War Cemetery.
Submitted 24 April 2020 by Susan Weisser
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