The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
Square grey polished cotton handkerchief, with wide hem and a small machine embroidered RAAF Wing in the lower left corner, realised in white, blue and black cotton. The owner has written his service number in small lettering below this.
Handkerchief owned by 409146 Flight Sergeant Robert Samuel King, 460 Squadron, RAAF. King, born 29 November 1921 at Kew, Victoria was working as a clerk in Melbourne when he enlisted with the RAAF on 19 July 1941.
After training as an air gunner and conversion to Lancasters in England, he was posted to 460 Squadron, RAAF. On 20 April 1943 he was flying as a crew member of Mk 1 Lancaster W 4956 (call sign UV-J) which was being flown on its first mission, commanded by 409221 Flight Sergeant Walter Pridgeon, RAAF. The target was the industrial, port and U-Boat facilities at Stettin (now Szczecin, Poland), with 339 aircraft (194 Lancasters, 134 Halifaxes and 11 Stirlings) involved. King's Lancaster was airborne at 21:35 but after this time nothing was ever heard from the crew again. Over 100 acres of Stettin was destroyed in the raid and 21 aircraft were lost, including three from 460 Squadron.
Post war, it was learned that the body of the bomb aimer of W 4956, 411469 Flight Sergeant Peter Mackenzie, had been found washed up near Fehmarn Island in the Baltic Sea, and it is presumed the aircraft crashed east of the island. The remaining crew are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial to the Missing at Surrey, UK.
Pair of machine embroidered Royal Australian Air Force pilot's wings. The brevet has white cotton embroidered wings, a king's crown, and the letters 'RAAF' within a pale blue embroidered laurel wreath
Brown leather Irvin flying jacket lined with sheepskin. The jacket has a high collar and long sleeves with zippers running from the cuff to the elbow along the inner arm. A triangular leather patch wi
Grey cotton man's handkerchief embroidered in one corner with RAAF pilot's wings, in white, black and pale blue. A small rectangular silver and blue paper manufacturer's sticker is attached to the han
Defence Medal. Impressed around edge with recipient's details. Daniel Rees was born in Maylands, Western Australia on 5 February 1922. He enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force on 21 July 1941 a
Embroidered blazer pocket badge showing the emblem of 460 Squadron, RAAF, on a black background. The badge has an embroidered king's crown above a faded blue circle with the words '460 SQUADRON ROYAL
Embroidered blazer pocket badge showing the emblem of 460 Squadron, RAAF, on a black background. The badge has an embroidered king's crown above a faded blue circle with the words '460 SQUADRON ROYAL
