Gertzel, William Kevin
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | William Kevin |
Surname | Gertzel |
Gender | M |
Age | 20 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 13-05-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Clarice Gertzel, of Perth, Western Australia. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | LV919 |
Markings | HD-O |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Belgium |
Burial/Memorial Place | Schoonselhof Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave IVa. E. 33-34. |
Epitaph | EVER REMEMBERED BY HIS MOTHER, SISTERS AND BROTHERS |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 169 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 427460 |
Service | Royal Australian Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 466 (Australian) |
Trade | WOp/AG |
Country of Origin | Australia |
Other Memorials
Location | Normandy Barracks, Leconfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Metal Sculpture Brick Pillars and Inscribed Sqn Badges |
Memorial Text | A memorial to those who flew from RAF Leconfield, including 640 Sqn |
Location | Memorial Gardens, North End Park, Driffield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Marble Memorial |
Memorial Text | A memorial to the men and women of 462 and 466 Sqns RAAF who served in Bomber Command during WW2 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1926/10 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1926/9 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 12-05-1944 |
End Date | 13-05-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Leconfield |
Day/Night Raid | Night (77% moon) |
Operation | Hasselt- to attack railway yards. 132 aircraft but only 39 bombed and all missed the target due to haze. The Master Bomber ordered that the raid be stopped. Five Lancasters Lost (3.8%). |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter flown by Oblt. Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer Stab, of IV./NJG1 4km North of Larum (Antwerp) at an altitude of 1,500m at 00:48hrs. Crashed NNW of Turnhout, Belgium, close to the border with Holland. |