ARTHUR, Paul Druce
| Service Number: | 422093 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 25 April 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Flight Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | Morree, New South Wales, Australia , 2 December 1921 |
| Home Town: | Not yet discovered |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Accidental, United Kingdom, 31 August 1944, aged 22 years |
| Cemetery: |
Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom Botley Cemetery Botley, Vale of White Horse District, Oxfordshire, England, Oxford (Botley) Cemetery, Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, United Kingdom |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial, Sydney Fallen Staff of the Rural Commonwealth Bank WW2 |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Flight Sergeant, 422093 | |
|---|---|---|
| 25 Apr 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 422093 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 422093 |
Short Sterling Bomber LJ630
Short Sterling heavy bomber LJ630
On the 31st Aug 1944, a Stirling bomber, LJ630 from 1654 HCU, took off from Wigsley at 2325 hours for a long night cross-country flight. This was the crew’s first night cross country flight. The aircraft crashed shortly after take off near Stanton-by-Dale, 6 miles WSW from Nottingham, and all the crew were killed. The outer starboard engine was on fire, and at the time there was thundery weather and lightning.
Crew:
Pilot; Plt Off Bruce Gordon Wilkinson 30829 RAAF
Staff Flight Engineer; FS William Edwin John Cox 1607195 RAFVR
Flight Engineer; Sgt James Lambell 1594880 RAFVR
Nav; Sgt Raymond George Alexander 1607283 RAFVR
Air bomber; Sgt Aereon Hughes 1622493 RAFVR
WOp; FS Paul Duce Arthur 422093 RAAF
AG; Sgt Thomas Henry Westhead 650407 RAF
Plt Off Wilkinson and FS Arthur are buried in the Oxford (Botley) Cemetery. All the RAF crew members except Sgt Westhead are buried in the Thorney (St Helen) Churchyard, Nottinghamshire
Sgt Westhead is buried in the Brierley (Grimethorpe) Cemetery.
Submitted 20 July 2019 by David Potter
Biography contributed by Karen Lee Butler
Flight Sergeant 422093 Arthur, RAAF, was the son of the Rev Winfred and Stella Arthur of Ashbury, New South Wales.
He was killed on 31st August 1944, on board Stirling Bomber LJ 630 from 1654 Conversion Unit. The aircraft took off from RAF Wigsley, Lincolnshire on a night cross country exercise when the outer starboard engine caught fire and the aircraft crashed 6-miles wsw of Nottingham. At the time of the flight there was thundery weather and lightening. He was 22.
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