Greer Winton Ottaway

Greer Winton Ottaway

AWM 32228423 ( touched up)
Personal Information
Date of Birth	17 Jul 1920
Place of Birth	Kelmscott, Western Australia
Death	21 Nov 1944, aged 24
Place of Death	Germany
Age at Enlistment	20 years, 7 months
Description	5'10½ in (1.79m) tall ; 126lbs 57.153 kg ; fair complexion ; blue eyes ; black hair
Occupation	SUb Accountant
Religion	Church of England
Address	70 Lawley Crescent, Mount Lawley, Western Australia
Next of Kin	Father , Mr. Kenneth Alfred Ottaway
Military Information
Reg Number	38181
Date of Enlistment	19 Mar 1941
Rank	Flying Officer
Unit/Formation	No. 460 Squadron RAAF
Military Movement
1st Departure from Australia
Journey Dates	11 Aug 1943 ‒ ?? Aug 1943
Transport Details	USS Mount Vernon (AP 22) Sydney to USA
Transfers
Journey Dates	?? Oct 1943 ‒ 16 Oct 1943
Transport Details	unknown USA to the UK
Post War Details
Fate	Killed in Flying Battle over Germany
Monument(s)	Runnymede Memorial, England WA State War Memorial
Australian War Memorial	Australian War Memorial
Medals	1939-45 Star Aircrew Europe Star War Medal 1939-45 Australian Service Medal 1939-45

Pre War

On leaving school Winton was employed for 16 months as a Junior Clerk by Jackson Leake Stawell & Co, before being employed by Attwood Motors Ltd as a Costing Clerk and Sub Accountant for 3½ years.

Electoral Roll entry: 1943 at 70 Lawley crescent, Maylands, RAAF

War Service

Winton enlisted at the No. 4 RAAF Recruiting Centre on 19 Mar 1941, and was initially mustered as a Pay Clerk and sent to the No. 4 Recruit Depot RAAF to undertake entry level training. Training completed, on 30 Apr 1941 he was transferred to the State HQ element at RAAF Base Pearce. Here, on 1 Sep 1941 he was appointed as a Leading Aircraftman, and further promotion followed on 1 Nov 1941 when he was promoted Corporal, and then on 1 Jun 1942 Acting Sergeant.

On 23 Mar 1942 Winton transferred to the No. 5 Initial Training School RAAF then based at Clontarf where he was remustered as Aircrew Group V reverting in rank on 11 Oct 1942 to Aircraftman II. His future was further decided on 1 Dec 1942 when he was deemed to be in the Pilot stream and on 7 Jan 1943 he was transferred to the No. 9 Elementary Flying Training School RAAF at Cunderdin as a Leading Aircraftman, to begin pilot training on the De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth. The first hurdle cleared, he was posted on 14 Mar 1943 to the No. 4 Service Flying Training School RAAF at Geraldton to join Plot Training Course No. 32 which flew Avro Anson aircraft. Again successful, receiving his Pilots Flying Badge on 25 Jun 1943, and on 30 Jun 1943 he was discharged as an enlisted man in order to be commissioned the next day as a Probationary Pilot Officer, which rank was later confirmed on 1 Jan 1944 when he was promoted Flying Officer.

On 2 Jul 1943 Winton was transferred to the No. 5 Embarkation Depot RAAF at Subiaco, before being transferred on 20 Jul 1943 to the No. 1 Embarkation Depot RAAF at the MCG (Ransford) in Melbourne. Transferred again on 7 Aug 1943, this time to the No. 2 Embarkation Depot RAAF at Bradfield Park, Lindfield, New South Wales as on 11 Aug 1943 Greer sailed from Sydney for the UK aboard USS Mount Vernon (AP 22), disembarking in the UK on 16 Oct 1943. On arrival he was tken on by the RAAF Overseas Headquarters and then on 7 Mar 1944 he was posted to No. 20 (P) AFRU RAF, a unit that provided refresher flying training and more advanced flying in European conditions. This was followed by a period from 23 May until 11 Aug 1944 with the No. 30 Operational Training Unit RAF. While with them he enjoyed leave from 31 Jul 1944 until 12 Aug 1944 when he was posted to a Base unit, before joining No. 460 Squadron RAAF on 14 Oct 1944.

Winton flew his first mission as a crew member of an Avro Lancaster of No. 460 Squadron RAAF on 16 Oct 1944. At the time of his death the AWM's Roll of Honour record him as a member of 460 Squadron, while the Commonwealth War Graves Commission list it as No. 20 Advanced Flying Training Unit - either an instructor or trainee. On some missions, to make up numbers, aircraft from Training Units participated to maximise the impact of the raid.

The crew of Lancaster PB 469 which crashed following the Aschaffenberg raid of 21 Nov 1944 comprised:

• Winton Greer Ottaway - Pilot
• Hugh S. Metcalfe - Flight Engineer
• Lionel Wilson Flohm - Bomb Aimer
• William F. Bull - Wireless Operator / Air Gunner
• Allen N. Shilstone - Rear Air Greer hadGunner
• G.H.J. Briggs - Turret Air Gunner
• V.E. Norman - Navigator

• 

  Runnymede Memorial
• 

  Location of W. Ottaway's name

Notes

Official records alternate between Winton Greer, and Greer Winton Ottaway.

Notes

Official records alternate between Winton Greer, and Greer Winton Ottaway.