State Library of South Australia

War graves of M. Powell, D. P. Croston and B. Fraser [SRG 873/1/44] • Photograph

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Summary

Digital copy of a photograph of a man holding flowers and standing by three Air Force war graves in the Wevelgem Communal Cemetery, Belgium. The cross on the left marks the grave of RAAF Squadron Leader Mervyn Powell, DFC Captain (Pilot), No. 402817, of Mackay, Queensland. The centre cross marks the grave of RAAF Flying Officer David Payne Croston (Air Gunner), No. 405821, of Adelaide, South Australia. Croston was educated at St Peters College, Adelaide, where he developed an interest in rowing and joined the Port Adelaide Rowing Club in 1928, holding the positions of Assistant Secretary in 1938/39 and Secretary in 1939/40. The cross on the right marks the grave of RAF Flight Sergeant B. Fraser (Bomb Aimer). The three men were flying with 463 Squadron RAAF in Lancaster LL882 on a night mission to Lille, France, on 11 May 1944 when the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter about 8 km north of Ypres. All of the crew were killed and are buried in the Wevelgem Communal Cemetery in Belgium. The other members of the crew were: RAF FO Jaques, R (Navigator); RAAF 406700 Flt Lt Read, W N (Wireless Operator Air Gunner); RAF Sgt H L Molyneux, (Flight Engineer); RAAF 407199 FO Croft, R McK (Air Gunner).

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Physical description

1 photograph : black and white ; 23.8 x 17.5 cm

Dates / Publication details

Approximately 1945

Collection

Part of Port Adelaide Rowing Club Collection

Subject

Croston, David Payne, 1911-1944
Australia. Royal Australian Air Force. Squadron, 463
Australia. Royal Australian Air Force. World War, 1939-1945
World War, 1939-1945 -- Participation, Australian.
Cemeteries -- Belgium

Catalogue record

Return to catalogue

General notes

Part of a photographic scrapbook album of the Port Adelaide Rowing Club.

Digitisation information

Date

25/03/2015

Format

image/tiff

Resolution

4,251 x 5,736 pixels (24.4 MP)

Size

73.18 MB

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