BOETTCHER, Arthur Harold
| Service Number: | 414305 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 12 September 1941 |
| Last Rank: | Flight Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | No. 467 Squadron (RAAF) |
| Born: | Gatton, Queensland, Australia, 29 August 1917 |
| Home Town: | Cunnamulla, Paroo, Queensland |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Grocer |
| Died: | 467 PO-K lost on ops, Germany, 2 January 1944, aged 26 years |
| Cemetery: |
Hanover War Cemetery Grave Location: 1. G. 12., Portion 1/Row G/Grave 12. Roll of Honour: Gatton, Lockyer Valley Region, Qld., |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial |
World War 2 Service
| 12 Sep 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman, Aircrew Training Units | |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Sep 1941: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 414305 | |
| 21 Sep 1941: | Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 414305, No. 467 Squadron (RAAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45 |
TARGET - "The Big City". PO-K lost on ops
No. 467 Squadron Lancaster B Mk III tail no LM372, serial PO-K flying on a raid to Berlin on 1/2 January 1944.
Their aircraft was intercepted and shot down on approach to the target near Altmerdingsen Germany to the target by a German Night Fighter Ace, Hauptman Heinrich Prinz Zu Sayn-Wittgenstein at 2.20am. The aircraft according to witnesses lost a wing and spun into the ground with a full bomb load. The resulting explosion blew a crater 25 yards across and blew out windows in the nearby village. There were no survivors.
The remains were interred locally and after the war a RAF investigation team disinterred the graves and set about the process of identifying the remains. They were reburied in the Hannover cemetery in 1947.
The aircraft and its crew of eight were lost. The eighth crew member was FSGT Mudie who flew as 2nd Pilot for experience before taking a crew of his own.
PATKIN LEO BRAHAM FLTLT 401146 (RAAF) Pilot https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/642784
MUDIE JAMES FSGT 29886 (RAAF) 2nd Pilot https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/640737
MAIDSTONE, RAYMOND JOSPEH ALFRED, 132722 FOFFR (RAFVR) Navigator
LITCHFIELD, GEORGE ARNOLD SGT 1579416 (RAFVR) Bomb Aimer
CHAMBERS, RALPH, SGT 1482755 (RAFVR) Flight Engineer (his remains were not accounted for in the post war investigation)
SCOTT HENRY DOUGLAS FSGT 410611 (RAAF) W/OP https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/646397
BLACKWELL WILLIAM DONALD FSGT 415497 (RAAF) Air Gunner https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/620241
BOETTCHER ARTHUR HAROLD FSGT 414305 (RAAF) Air gunner https://rslvirtualwarmemorial.org.au/explore/people/620414
As a postscript, Wittgenstein was killed soon after this incident on 21 January, after he had shot down five Lancasters in the course of about 40 minutes, when in turn his Ju88 was brought down by either debris from his last victim or fire from a nearby Lancaster air gunner or a Mosquito. The wing of his Ju88 was set on fire and he ordered the crew to abandon the aircraft. His crew escaped but it seemed that Wittgenstein was incapacitated on exit and was found with his parachute unopened near the wreckage. At the time of his death he had been credited with 83 kills making him one of the deadliest night fighter aces of the Luftwaffe. See this link for further details: http://www.aircrewremembrancesociety.co.uk/styled-15/styled-21/styled-260/index.html .
Submitted 3 January 2017 by Steve Larkins
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