Sergeant John McDowell - 101 Squadron

Flight Sergeant Warren Hart - 101 Squadron

F/Sgt Warren Hart - RAAF

Flight Sergeant Warren Hart was serving as Bomb Aimer on board Lancaster Mk.III LM472 coded SR-V2 during an operation to bomb the synthetic oil plant near Brux, in Western Czechoslovakia on January 16, 1945.

The aircraft left Ludford Magna at 1748hrs and failed to return. Seven of the eight man crew were killed, including F/Sgt Warren Hart.

The crew consisted of:

Name	Service	Trade	Hometown	Age
F/O Frederick McGonigle	RAFVR	Pilot	Glasgow, Scotland	-
Sgt John McDowell	RAFVR	Flight Engineer	County Down, N. Ireland	23
F/Sgt John Knight - POW	RAAF	Navigator	-	-
F/Sgt Warren Hart	RAAF	Bomb Aimer	Mackay, Queensland	20
F/Sgt Laurence Collins	RAAF	W/Op/AG	Ballarat, Victoria, Australia	20
Sgt Robert Beckett	RAFVR	Air Gunner	-	-
Sgt Daniel Conroy	RAFVR	Air Gunner	-	-
P/O Jack Armour	RCAF	Special Equipment Operator	Hamilton, Ontario	27

Flight Sergeant Warren Rochester Lee Hart, RAAF, known as "Wirra", was born on 23^rd of March 1924 and the son of Henry Rochester and Irene Hart of Mackay, Queensland, Australia. He was the fourth of six children, 3 boys and 3 girls. He was single and worked as a Sugar Chemist before enlisting at Brisbane. He is remembered on the Mackay roll of honour.

The seven crewmembers that were killed and taken to Geilsdorf for identification procedures and burial before being interred in the Geilsdorf Cemetery. On 20^th December 1945 the bodies of the dead crew members were reinterred to rest in the Berlin War Cemetery. Flight Sergeant Knight, the only survivor, became a prisoner of war.

For additional information on the aircraft and crew see W/O Laurence Collins.

Photos and information courtesy of Ray Collins, research by Linda Ibrom