Outdoor portrait including 412970 Leading Aircraftman (LAC ) Reginald Stanislaus Kelly (standing ...

Outdoor portrait including 412970 Leading Aircraftman (LAC ) Reginald Stanislaus Kelly (standing third from the left), of Gunnedah, NSW (lost on operations over the United Kingdom on 24 March 1944). A foreman at an Engineering Works prior to enlisting on 15 August 1941, he completed his initial training and progressed to the Advanced Training Course for pilots at No. 7 Service Flying Training School (7SFTS), RAAF Station Deniliquin, Australia. Shortly after, he transferred to the RAF in England via further training under the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) in Canada. As a member of No 78 Squadron RAF, Flying Officer (FO) Kelly was one of seven in the crew of a Halifax III LW510 EY-, that took off from Breighton Airfield, Yorkshire, England , to take part in Operation Berlin. During the operation the Halifax was badly damaged and on returning to England on 24 March 1944 on one engine, it crashed at Cranfield, Bedfordshire, killing all crew members. FO Kelly is buried in the Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, England, United Kingdom. He was 21 years of age. The remaining members of the group (standing from left to right) are: 413394 LAC John Maxwell Knight; 409415 LAC Albert Keith Rupert Knipe; 5015 LAC John David Tarbath; 412977 LAC Michael Larkin; 413787 LAC William Lloyd Mortlock.