B24 Liberator A72-80

Have, apart from my father John Wilson Hursthouse, very little information about the crew members. So far, I have been able to contact the nephew of Charles David Parry-Okeden, a niece of William (Bill) Flanagan - and recently three cousins of John Richmond Ryan.

The black-and-white photos in my possession are very small, these have been extracted from crew pics, so identification of the rest of the crew members has been difficult. If I have made any errors with the names, I apologise

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This page is still under construction. I do have information on some of the crew - their "dates of birth"and service records are available on the Australian War Memorial website. It has taken some time to get this far with the "reconstruction" of this website - and may take much more time. I may well have to find time to devote a page each.

Pilot;
Squadron Leader Nathaniel H. ("Fanny") Straus [250759]
(of East Malvern. Vic)
Body recovered.

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Co-pilot.
Flight Sergeant H. J. Boyd [427775].
(of Pomborniti North, Vic.)
Missing.

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Bombardier;
Flight Lt. Charles David (Dave) Parry-Okeden [404485]
(of Chinchilla. Qld.)
Body recovered.

The following is an Extract from the Diary of Flight Lieutenant David Parry-Okeden dated 10 February 1945.  He was killed 6 weeks later in this crash, and requested that should his diary be censored he desired this "Soliloquy" be sent to his father:-

"I wonder if one of these days a burst will come up through the bombardier's window when I'm bending over the sight on a run - who knows?  It's in the lap of the Gods?  It doesn't worry me.  There's not much time to worry about things like that on a bombing run.
What better way to die than in fighting for all one's loved ones.  Fighting so that they can smile and walk without fear of the ever-present dread word that a loved one has made the supreme sacrifice.  That children in all parts of the world will play games and be happy again, without the menace of the whistling bomb or screaming shell.  That men and women will be free to live their own lives again.  Dear God!  If the time should come that I have to die; I'd die gladly if my death is the cost, that I, as one individual have to pay for that.

The war has taught me much and given me a fuller life, as in the past four years I have learned that all men are equal, sharing danger together with men of all ranks and all stations.  I have come to learn the real brotherhood of man, the comradeship that exists among us who fly together.  The courage, fear, bravery and make-up of men.  The nobleness and gentleness underlying rough exteriors.
War does strange things!  It turns men's thoughts to God, their hearts to deeper understanding and their minds to a thirst for knowledge and a way of expressing their feelings through poetry and writing.  It has taught me the marvels of God and what an insignificant puny creature is man in the scheme of things.  Flying high in the sky for long periods surrounded only by clouds and silence that is broken only by the roar of powerful engines, earth and its worries and material things are far removed from us.
High in the heavens at night, with the sky aflame with its millions of pin points of light, there is an infinite peace and beauty that is only to be found there.  After a long night to see the wonder of dawn breaking and the world and earth beginning to unfold and take shape again, as the heavens light up and the golden orb of the sun throws its first questing rays of light and warmth over the hitherto darkened world.  One seems to have been in another world for a night and very close to the Creator of all the beauty one has seen and experienced.
And a strange sense of peace and contentment fills one's mind."

Flt Lt. Charles David (Dave) Parry-Okeden is buried at Adelaide River War Cemetery, a well maintained and picturesque war memorial, 113 kilometres south of Darwin, in the Northern Territory.
 

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Wireless Operator/Air Gunner;
Flying Officer John Wilson (Jack) Hursthouse [416215]
(of Elbow Hill, South Aust.)
Missing.




Full text of the telegram received by my mother on 4th April 1945.

REFERENCE YOUR HUSBAND FLYING OFFICE JOHN WILSON HURSTHOUSE STOP INFORMATION RECEIVED THAT THE BODIES OF TWO MEMBERS OF YOUR HUSBANDS CREW SQUADRON LEADER N I STRAUS AND FLIGHT LIEUTENANT C D PARRYOKEDEN HAVE NOW BEEN RECOVERED STOP THESE MEMBERS HAVE BEEN RECLASSIFIED AS HAVING LOST THEIR LIVES STOP REPORT ALSO STATES THAT A FURTHER BODY WAS OBSERVED ON BEACH IN REMOTE LOCALITY BUT WHEN SEARCH PARTY REACHED SCENE BODY HAD DISAPPEARED THERE BEING EVIDENCE SUGGESTING THAT IT HAD BEEN REMOVED INTO THE SEA BY A CROCODILE STOP SHIRT BEARING MARKING J W HURSTHOUSE FOUND IN IMMEDIATE VICINITY STOP NATURE OF TERRAIN RENDERED FURTHER LAND BASED SEARCHES IMPOSSIBLE STOP WARSHIP PROCEEDING TO AREA IN QUESTION TO CONDUCT FURTHER SEARCHES STOP YOU WILL BE INFORMED IMMEDIATELY ANY FURTHER INFORMATION IS RECEIVED MEANWHILE YOUR HUSBAND REMAINS CLASSIFIED MISSING BELIEVED KILLED STOP AIR BOARD AGAIN EXTENDS SINCERE SYMPATHY

AIR BOARD 391 COLLINS ST MELBOURNE

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Wireless Operator/Air Gunner;
Warrant Officer William Richard (Bill) Flanagan [401748]
(of Warrandyte, Vic.)
Missing.

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Navigator;
Flying Officer Raymond Allenby (Ray) Whiting [426733]
(of Ascot, Qld.)
Missing.

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Air Gunner;
Warrant Officer Herbert Gordon (Wombat) Parker [408591]
(of Cootamundra, NSW)
Missing.

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Flight Engineer;
Flight Sergeant Ronald Malcolm ("Bluey") Morris [46563]
(of Wagin, Western Aust.)
Missing.

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Air Gunner;
Sgt. John Richmond Ryan [422716]
(of Bondi, NSW.)
Missing.

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Air Gunner;
Sergeant Alexander Douglas (Curley) Whitehead [121592]
(of Jervois, South Aust.)
Missing.

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Air Gunner;
Sgt. W. A. Rogers [436889]
Body recovered.