WRIGHT NW
Wright, Noel William
Personal Information
| Rank | S/L |
| Forename(s) | Noel William |
| Surname | Wright |
| Gender | M |
| Age | 30 |
| Date of Death | 24-08-1943 |
| Next of Kin | Son of William Walgett Wright, and of Eliza Ann Wright (née Stewart), of Jandowae, Queensland, Australia. Eliza pre-deceased Noel. Husband of Grace Maclean Wright (Nee Swan), of Appleby, Westmorland. |
Aircraft Information
| Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax II |
| Serial Number | JD465 |
| Markings | KN-U |
Memorial Information
| Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
| Burial/Memorial Place | Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery |
| Grave Reference | 1. H. 11. |
| Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
| Phase | 2 |
| Panel Number | 269 |
Enlistment Information
| Service Number | 37589 |
| Service | Royal Air Force |
| Group | 4 |
| Squadron | 77 |
| Squadron Motto | Esse potius quam videri (To be, rather than to seem) |
| Trade | Pilot |
| Country of Origin | Australia |
Other Memorials
| Location | Holy Trinity Church, Elvington, North Yorkshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Memorial Type | Stained Glass Window & Roll of Honour |
| Memorial Text | Memorial windows and Roll of Honour for 77 Sqn. R.A.F. |
| Location | Yorkshire Air Museum, Elvington North Yorkshire |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Memorial Type | Marble Column with Metal Sculpture and Plaques |
| Memorial Text | Memorial to 77 Sqn. R.A.F. City of Lancaster's own |
Miscellaneous Information
| An article appeared in The Dalby Herald (Queensland) paper on Tuesday 28 September 1943. page 3 which tells us in some detail about the life of Noel and his wife. SQUADRON LEADER N.W. WRIGHT Jandowae, Monday Squadron Leader Noel William Wright, RAAF, son of Mr. and the late Mrs. W. Wright, Milray, Jandowae, has been posted as missing. This advice has been received by relatives here from his wife, who is residing in England, Squadron Leader Wright joined the RAAF in 1936 at the age of 19 years and, after training at Point Cook, went to England as Pilot Officer in 1937. From there, where he was promoted to the rank of Flight Lieutenant, he went to Hong Kong and there was alde-de-camp to the Governor, advancing to the rank of Squadron Leader. Whilst in Hong Kong he was married to Miss Grace Swan, and at the outbreak of hostilities with Japan his wife and her mother were amongst those evacuated to Australia where they resided for some time with Mr and Mrs A Hoskin. Squadron Leader Wright was transferred to Singapore and when the Japanese invasion took place escaped to Java, and narrowly avoided disaster there, the airfield being machine gunned by the Japanese as the RAAF personnel raced for their planes. India was his next stopping place, and from there he went to England, where he was engaged in making raids over enemy territory. It was from a raid over Berlin on August 2J" last that he failed to return. Mrs Wright had given birth to a son during her stay in Queensland and sailed for Singapore when her husband was transferred there, and was residing there at the time of the first Japanese bombing of the city, At a minute's notice, with no time to pack any belongings, Mrs Wright boarded a ship for West Australia when the invasion of Singapore took place, and from there returned to Jandowae. Later with her mother, she lived for a time in Melbourne but anxious to be with her husband, who was now in England she braved the seas once more with her little son, leaving her mother in Melbourne with another of her daughters. Mrs Wright's terrifying experiences were not yet over, for the ship was torpedoed, but she and her baby were amongs those fortunate enough to be rescued. In a lifeboat Mrs Wright went through the terrible ordeal of watching the child who had been her son's constant playmate, and his father and mother, drown. Eventually she and her litle boy arrived safely in England about 12 months before her hushand's last fight. Mrs Wright's father and brother are prisoners in flons Kong and another brother was killed there The missing airman wos well known in Jandowoe having attended the State School here for a number of years, after which he went to live with Mr and Mrs A Hoskins at Motley (near Oakey). Mr Hoskins who is a cousin of Squadron Leader Wright, was head teacher there, and under his tuition the lad passed his scholarship, afer which he attended the Toowoomba Grammar School and was successful in passing his Junior and Senior University examinations and was a Platoon Sergeant in the School's Cadet Unit. Noel finally Joining the RAAF in 1935. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
| Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/656/35 |
| Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/656/34 |
Fellow Servicemen
Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.
Last Operation Information
| Start Date | 23-08-1943 |
| End Date | 24-08-1943 |
| Takeoff Station | Elvington |
| Day/Night Raid | Night (37% moon) |
| Operation | Berlin. 727 aircraft, 56 losses (7.9%)- the greatest loss in a single raid so far in the war. Sequential marking was used to keep the main force on course. A Master Bomber approach was also used (W/C J E [Johnny] Fauquier). PFF were unable to locate the centre of Berlin using H2S and instead marked the southern suburbs. The main force arrived late and many cut a corner, making their arrival point incorrect. As might be expected for Berlin, the flak and fighter defences were formidable. Nevertheless, this was the most serious raid on Berlin so far in the war. Much of the government district was badly damaged and 20 ships were also sunk. 854 people were killed, many of whom had failed to take refuge in air raid shelters. |
| Reason for Loss | Crashed at Biessenthal, Germany |