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Son of Ernest Gottleib ABERLE and Susan Elizabeth Vera ABERLE nee RANKIN

Flight Sergeant Douglas Buchanan Aberle of 460 Squadron was born in East Fremantle in August 1923, the eldest son of Ernest and Vera Aberle. He had two brothers and a sister. He grew up in the depression years but with his family and friends enjoyed a big back yard and the Swan River for fishing, crabbing and swimming.   Doug attended Richmond  Primary and later Fremantle Boys' High where he gained his Junior Certificate in 1939.
He began work with the Shell Company as a junior clerk in its Perth office.
As teenagers Doug, his brother and friends joined the Volunteer Defence Corps where they received weekend training in drills and small arms.
In January 1942 he joined the Australian army and then transferred to the RAAF in August of that year.

Doug did his basic training at Clontarf and later in West Sale Victoria in air gunnery and wireless telegraphy schools. In May 1943 he departed by sea for the United Kingdom via  the United States. He was posted to 460 Squadron as an air gunner.

He flew in Lancaster ED644 which was one of 26 that took off from Binbrook, with a full bomb load heading
for Berlin, on 23 November 1943.

Flight Sergeant Douglas Buchannan Aberle, service number 427631 of 460 Squadron, was killed in action
over Germany on 23 November 1943. He was 20.

Son of Ernest and Susan Elizabeth Aberle, of East Fremantle, Western Australia.

HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED

Douglas Buchanan ABERLE was born in Fremantle, Western Australia on 5th August, 1923

His parents were Ernest Gottlieb ABERLE & Susan Elizabeth Vera RANKIN who married in Perth, WA in 1922

He first enlisted in the Army on 2nd January, 1942.  This process would heve seen him drafted into the Militia as was the lot of every eleigible male 18-35.  He would have weighed up the options and then elected to transfer to the the RAAF  via discharge from the Army and enlistment in the RAAF on 16th August, 1942.

From there he was selected for aircrew training  under the Empire Air Training Scheme as an Air Gunner  Gunners were generally cross-trained as Wireless Operators, or 'WAG'.

He was assigned to No. 460 Squadron in due course.  He served in a the usual crew of seven men in his case as a gunner.;

*Pilot - Maurice Joseph FREEMAN (/explore/people/628673)

Engineer - D A JACKSON (RAF)

Navigator - A E ASHLEY

Bomb Aimer - P A LIDDLE

Wireless Operator - C R KINGSMILL

**Mid Upper Turret Gunner / Rear Gunners;  David ABERLE, T ELLIOTT

*= KIA

Their aircraft, Lancaster tail number ED644, one of 26 despatched from Binbrook, was lost on its third operation on the night of 23 November 1943, a raid on Berlin.  Three of the crew were killed (the pilot and the two gunners;  the pilot either inacpacitated by enemy fire or remaining with the aircraft to enable the crew to get out, and the two gunners either incapacitated or unable to escape) and the remainder taken prisoner.

The three men KIA are buried in the Reichswald Forest cemetery in Germany.