WOODS, Lawrence William
| Service Number: | 408463 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 19 June 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Flying Officer |
| Last Unit: | No. 460 Squadron (RAAF) |
| Born: | Deloraine Tasmania Australia , 26 December 1922 |
| Home Town: | Hobart, Tasmania |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Clerk |
| Memorials: |
World War 2 Service
| 19 Jun 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 408463, No. 1 Initial Training School Somers | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Jun 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 408463 | |
| 5 May 1943: | Embarked Royal Australian Air Force, 408463, Embarked Brisbane for U.K. | |
| 13 Jun 1944: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Warrant Officer, 408463, No. 460 Squadron (RAAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45 | |
| 8 Oct 1944: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Pilot Officer, No. 460 Squadron (RAAF) | |
| 12 Jan 1945: | Honoured Distinguished Flying Cross, Air War NW Europe 1939-45 | |
| 8 Apr 1945: | Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, No. 460 Squadron (RAAF) | |
| 25 Sep 1945: | Discharged Royal Australian Air Force, Flying Officer, 408463 | |
| Date unknown: | Involvement Flying Officer, 408463, No. 460 Squadron (RAAF) |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Graham Padget
Laurie Woods always wanted to fly. “Flying is a wonderful thing,” he said. “But when fellas start shooting at you, it’s a different story.”
Laurie served with Bomber Command during the Second World War and was one of more than 3,300 Australians who were involved in the D-Day campaign.
Flying Officer Lawrence 'Laurie' William Woods
“We would have anything up to 500 heavy guns firing away at us,” he said. “And when I say heavy guns, they were using the heaviest shells to get to the height where we were … They were the type of shells that were used for battleship-to-battleship fighting, so it wasn’t a picnic (AWM memorial collections - Laurie Woods comments)
Laurie was a bomb aimer with No. 460 Squadron when Allied forces launched Operation Overlord on D-Day, 6 June 1944, to liberate France and Western Europe from Nazi occupation.
Of the 49 original aircrew posted to No. 460 Squadron with him, only eight men were left alive in October 1944 (Extract from AWM memorial collections) https://www.awm.gov.au/articles/blog/lawrence-woods-and-d-day
Click images to start slideshow.