Personnel Index - Detail

Name
APPLEYARD
First Names
William David
Rank
F/O
Service
RAAF
Service Number
415716
Crew Position
Pilot
Age
22
Date of Death
19/07/1944
Cemetery

 

A training image with William Appleyard marked.......we wonder how many of the pilots survived operations?

Image courtesy of F/O Appleyard's niece, Wendy Appleyard.

Photographed by Malcolm Brooke
 

Image courtesy of Chris Beare
 

18/19 July, 1944; REVIGNY:

Two railway targets at Aulnoye and Revigny in France had been selected for attack by 253 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 1,3,5 and 8 Groups.
The first crews were away from Fiskerton at 22.38hrs, ahead of 14 other Lancasters from the squadron all bound for the rail junction at Revigny.
At interrogation, crews once again reported an extremely large amount of fighter activity. A glance at Fiskerton's operation board showed 5 crews were still overdue. By 06.00hrs, news had come through that F/O Arnold and crew had safely made Woodbridge, but of the remaining four crews, nothing more was heard; 49 Squadron had received yet another sickening blow, as four crews were reported 'missing'.
The crew of Australian skipper, F/O William Appleyard, were also near to completing their tour; none of the crew survived when they too were brought down over France. Their graves are in Granges-sur-Aube Churchyard near Marne.

Lancaster ND684
F/O W.D. Appleyard RAAF Pilot (Killed)
P/O H.E. Turner F/E (Killed)
F/S D.W. Blumfield NAV (Killed)
F/S G.J. Perry W/AG (Killed)
P/O E.M. Matheson RCAF A/G (Killed)
F/S G.W. Jameson B/A (Killed)
Sgt R.F.H.Viollet A/G (Killed)

Crew on their 26th operation
 

Photograph by Chris Beare
Driving to the crashsite
 

Photograph by Chris Beare
Small fragments of the aircraft as still surfacing in the field
 

In July 2004 Chris Beare travelled to France with her brother and son & daughter to visit the war grave and crash-site of her uncle ....Dennis Blumfield.........her report will either download or open in a new window.