[BIOGRAPHY]
Donald Tiley was from Blackwood, Monmouthshire, Wales & served as a Flight Engineer on 640 Squadron from early 1944 and was tragically lost on the final Cologne raid of the war which took place on the night of 1/2nd March 1945. The Americans captured the city four days later on 6th March 1945 and just over eight weeks later on 8th May 1945 the war in Europe was at an end.
[THE CREW & THE RAID, HALIFAX MkIII. NP968 (C8-Y) ]
The entire crew of seven listed here were lost in the shoot down & crash on 2nd March 1945. Three men were Australian nationals serving with the Royal Australian Air Force.
F/Lt K. ROBINSON. D.F.M.
* Flt/Sgt D.H.G. TILEY
F/O F.E. WATKIN (R.A.A.F.) of Malvern, Victoria. (Age 31)
F/O B.F. O'NEILL (R.A.A.F.) of Murgan, Queensland. (Age 35)
F/O H.H. WOLFSON (R.A.A.F.) of Belleview Hill, NSW (Age 29)
Flt/Sgt J.H.W. TURNER
Flt/Sgt C.K. FIELDER
The aircraft took off at 19:40 and bombed Cologne, Germany. It was attacked by enemy night fighters (probably by the new ME262 German jet fighters which were operational in the area at the time.) It came down inside allied controlled territory on the return leg to RAF Leconfield (near Beverley) in East Yorkshire. The crash site was at "Floreffe" in Namur Province, Wallonia. 50" 26' N - 04" 47' E.
Donald's medals were sent to his wife Mrs L.M. TILEY of 1, HIGHLAND TERRACE, MORRIS LANE, BLACKWOOD, MONMOUTHSHIRE. ( The address is still extant .)
A LATE BOMBER COMMAND CASUALTY TRIO TO A YOUNG WELSH LAD WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR FREEDOM....Just eight weeks from the end of the war.SOLD