Operation: Essen, Germany

Date: 23rd/24th October 1944 (Monday/Tuesday)

Unit No: 462 Squadron, RAAF, 4 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Halifax III

Serial: LL599

Code: Z5:E

Base: RAF Driffield, East Riding of Yorkshire

Location: 2000 yards SE of Aachen, Germany

Pilot: Fg Off. Frank Edward Nelder 419561 RAAF Age 21. KiA

Flt Eng: Sgt. Douglas Darrah Pettit 1895178 RAFVR Age 19. KiA

Nav: Flt Sgt. Ernest Hartley Richardson 427259 RAAF Age 33. KiA

Bomb Aimer: Flt Sgt. John Maurice Grace 419701 RAAF Age 21. Safe (1)

WOp/Air Gnr: Flt Sgt. Edward Phillip Austin 429105 RAAF Age 23. KiA

Air Gnr (Mid Upp): Flt Sgt. Malcolm Langley Wood 435026 RAAF Age 21. KiA

Air Gnr (Rear): Flt Sgt. Alan Farmer 436820 RAAF Age 22. KiA

Above: Fg Off. Frank Edward Nelder, Flt Sgt. Ernest Hartley Richardson, Flt Sgt. John Maurice Grace (From their Service Records)

Above: Flt Sgt. Edward Phillip Austin, Flt Sgt. Malcolm Langley Wood, Flt Sgt. Alan Farmer (From their Service Records)

REASON FOR LOSS

On the night of the 23rd/24th October 1944 seventeen (17) aircraft from the Sqn were detailed to join a force of one-thousand and fifty-five (1055) aircraft to bomb Essen in Germany.

Only sixteen (16) took-off with two (2) returning early after jettisoning their bomb loads, LW440 with an oil system failure and MZ341 with No.1 petrol tank unserviceable. Halifax III LL599 was the only aircraft from the Sqn that failed to return.

Flt Sgt. Grace reported that they were flying at 20,000 ft approximately 10 miles NE of Aachen when his aircraft was hit in the rear causing the aircraft to dive out of control in a spin. He had heard nothing over intercom. Flt Sgt. Grace was in the Bomb Aimers position in the nose of the aircraft and was unable to move because of the spinning forces.

It was later established that LL599 was in a mid-air collision with Lancaster III LM691 CF:O which was flown by Sqn Ldr. Charles W.C. Hamilton who was the only one of the crew to survive.

Apparently during the dive the aircraft disintegrated as Flt Sgt. Grace next remembers falling by himself. He opened his parachute and landed approximately 500 yards from the enemy lines and successfully made his way to the American lines.

Flt Sgt. Grace believes himself to be only survivor from LL599 as he was only member of the crew to be wearing his parachute at time. The next day in Aachen Flt Sgt. Grace identified parts of an aircraft as being one of 462 Squadron.

The aircraft had exploded in mid-air at 21:00 hrs and crashed about 2000 yards SE of Aachen and was spread over a large area.

(1) Flt Sgt. Grace arrived safely back in the UK on the 27th October 1944 and was posted to 7 Squadron where he was promoted to Warrant Officer (WO) on the 24th December 1944.

WO. Grace was appointed to a commission and promoted to Plt Off on the 5th May 1945 and then to Fg Off. on the 16th October 1945. He was discharged from the RAAF as a Fg Off. on the 21st December 1945.

Burial details:

The bodies of Flt Sgt. Wood, Flt Sgt. Farmer, Flt Sgt. Austin, Flt Sgt. Richardson, Sgt. Pettit and Fg Off. Nelder were recovered by an American Grave Registration unit and they were initially interred in the Henri Chapell American Cemetery, Plot D, Row 2, Graves 24, 26, 29, 30, 31 and 33 respectively. They were finally laid to rest at the Hotton War Cemetery on the 24th April 1947.

Above: The Hotton War Cemetery (Courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission)

Fg Off. Frank Edward Nelder. Hotton War Cemetery, I.E.10. Grave Inscription: “EVER REMEMBERED BY MOTHER, FATHER AND SISTER "GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN" . . .”. Born on the 25th June 1923 in Brunswick, Victoria. Son of Alfred Gordon and Lily Nelder of Brunswick, Victoria, Australia.

Sgt. Douglas Darrah Pettit. Hotton War Cemetery, I.E.9. Grave Inscription: “DEEP IN OUR HEARTS HE LIVETH YET; WE LOVED HIM TOO DEARLY TO EVER FORGET”. Son of Frederick Charles and Ada Sophie (née Darrah) Pettit. Husband of Amy Maybn (née Joseph) Pettit of Shinfield, Berkshire, England.

Flt Sgt. Ernest Hartley Richardson. Hotton War Cemetery, I.E.8. Grave Inscription: “EVER REMEMBERED BY HIS LOVED ONES”. Born on the 16th December 1910 in Cottesloe, Western Australia. Son of William Horatio and Mary Jane Richardson. Husband of Daphne Mavis Richardson of Bencubbin, Western Australia.

Flt Sgt. Edward Phillip Austin. Hotton War Cemetery, I.E.7. Grave inscription: “GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN”. Born on the 3rd June 1921 in Epping, New South Wales. Son of Edward Picton and Alice Pauline Austin. Husband of Patricia Joan Austin of Cheltenham, New South Wales, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Malcolm Langley Wood. Hotton War Cemetery, I.E.5. Grave Inscription: “NEVER WAS SO MUCH OWED BY SO MANY TO SO FEW”. Born on the 17th October 1923 in Mosman, New South Wales. Son of Kenneth William and Ethel Maud Wood of Mosman, New South Wales, Australia.

Flt Sgt. Alan Farmer. Hotton War Cemetery, I.E.5. Grave Inscription: “HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED”. Born on the 17th July 1922 in Balmain, New South Wales. Son of Arthur and Annie Emily Farmer of Balmain, New South Wales, Australia.

Researched by Ralph Snape for Aircrew Remembered and dedicated to the crew and their families (Nov 2025).

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