During the evening of 11 October 1944 a Vickers Wellington X, Serial MF698, took off from its base at RAF Hixon in Staffordshire. The aircraft belonged to Number 30 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Royal Air Force, and had been ordered out on a night navigation exercise with a full crew of six men from Hixon. The aircraft had been ordered to fly from Stafford to Conway, then to Criccieth, before flying over Cardigan Bay to Fishguard before returning via Barmouth and Aberdovey over country to Hixon. The aircraft took off at 3.00 am on 12 October 1944 and 30 minutes later reported that it was over Conway, in clear skies. The weather soon started to change due to an increase in wind speed and at 5.30 am the flight was ordered to return to Hixon. The order was not acknowledged by MF698, which never returned to Hixon. It was not until five years later that it was officially declared that the Wellington must have crashed into the cold waters of Cardigan Bay, killing all her crew.
The Missing Crew of MF698
Douglas John White, Pilot Officer, 427966, Royal Australian Air Force. Douglas was born on 1 April 1920, the son of Herbert John and Catherine Braithwaite White, of 22, Queen Street, Peppermint Grove, Western Australia. He enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force on 23 May 1942 and embarked for England on 4 November 1943. He was 21 years old when he was killed on 12 October 1944 and is commemorated on Panel 269 of the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
John Richardson Gibson, Warrant Officer, 426094, Royal Australian Air Force. John was the son of Walter Cecil and Marjorie Minnie Gibson, of Brisbane, Queensland. He was 24 years old when he was killed on 12 October 1944 and is commemorated on Panel 269 of the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
Hubert Glasper, Sergeant, 1699735, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Hubert was the son of Thomas Glasper and of Sarah Jane Glasper, of Darlington, County Durham. He was 19 years old when he was killed on 12 October 1944 and is commemorated on Panel 230 of the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
Ronald George Kingsley, Flight Sergeant, 419758, Royal Australian Air Force. Ronald was born on 19 October 1922, the son of Percy Roy and Ida Florence Kingsley, of 951, Whitehorse Road, Box Hill, Victoria. He enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force on 23 September 1942. He was 21 years old when he was killed on 12 October 1944 and is commemorated on Panel 261 of the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
William Mathew Schafer, Flight Sergeant, 433034, Royal Australian Air Force. William was born on 28 July 1923, the son of Percy Henry and Agnes Schafer, of 18, Edwin Street, Tempe, New South Wales. He enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force on 16 February 1943 and embarked for England on 27 January 1944. He was 21 years old when he was killed on 12 October 1944 and is commemorated on Panel 261 of the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.
Angus Reginald Telford, Flight Sergeant, 437884, Royal Australian Air Force. Angus was the son of James Stinton Telford and Daisy Beatrice Telford, of Mount Barker, Australia. He was 22 years old when he was killed on 12 October 1944 and is commemorated on Panel 262 of the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey.