WATSON, Cleveland Charles
| Service Number: | 434547 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 29 January 1943 |
| Last Rank: | Flight Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Yorktown, South Australia, 29 April 1924 |
| Home Town: | Werribee, Wyndham, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Baker |
| Died: | Accidental, United Kingdom, 3 January 1945, aged 20 years |
| Cemetery: |
Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, Chester, England A 1061 |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 29 Jan 1943: | Involvement Flight Sergeant, 434547 | |
|---|---|---|
| 29 Jan 1943: | Enlisted Melbourne, VIC | |
| 29 Jan 1943: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 434547 |
My Great Uncle
I am one of Cleveland's nephews.
Around 2023 for a project I researched my own family military history which included Cleve's, and I just wanted to share some stories here.
Cleveland was really born on the 29th of April 1924 in South Australia. His name at birth was Cleveland Charles Hacker, which soon changed to Watson when him and his family moved to Victoria and settled in Werribee.
Upon enlistment in the Army, he was only sixteen years old, and only ever made it to the rank of private. In his ID photos for the army he has a black eye in which I can only wonder where he got it from.
After a year, he than moved to the Royal Australian Air Force, which after graduation gunnery school here in Australia, he disembarked to England.
Amazingly, my family and I have a copy of a letter his mother sent him (as well as Cleveland's personal logbook and the letter of his death) while he was on holiday in London, which was very eventful as my dad told me that Cleveland got into a bit of a fight with the Yanks over them being paid more then the Aussies!
In the letter his mum sent him, she talks about keeping an eye on the Melbourne cup for Cleve while he is away, she also says how annoying it is that another soldier spilt a drink on him. She mentions how much Cleve's baby brother is growing while he is away.
It is dreadful that only after being with the 467 squadron for over a month, Cleveland was with his crewmates on a training exercise in the Arvo Lancaster NF908, when due to harsh weather conditions the plane crashed into The Roaches near Leek, killing all crewmen on board.
The crew were:
F/O Walter Vernon Wilfred Allamby, (Aus.428516) RAAF - Pilot
Sgt Norman Lees (2218806) RAFVR - Flight Engineer
F/Sgt Geoffrey James Dunbar, (Aus.424391) RAAF - Navigator
F/Sgt Richard Emonson (Aus.430484) RAAF - Wireless Operator/Air Gunner
F/Lt Jack Ivan Pritchard, (Aus.421047) RAAF - Bomb Aimer
(See source #4. for a studio portrait of this man).
F/Sgt Cleveland Charles Watson, (Aus.434547) RAAF- Air Gunner
F/Sgt Thomas Edward Harold Wright (Aus.430728) RAAF- Air Gunner
Lest We Forget
Submitted 8 April 2026 by John Watson
Click images to start slideshow.