TEMPLER FAMILY

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Philip Walter Templer

Philip Walter Templer was the son of Thomas William and Eleanor Elizabeth Templer. This family is part of the London Templers. He was killed with all his crew on a bombing raid from Italy to Bulgaria

TEMPLER,  P W

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Flight Sergeant (Nav.)

Regiment: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Unit Text: 614 Sqdn.

Age: 22

Date of Death: 16/03/1944

Service No: 1333368

Additional information: Son of Thomas William and Eleanor Elizabeth Templer, of Notting Hill, London,.

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: X. E. 14.

Cemetery: SANGRO RIVER WAR CEMETERY

15/16-3-1944

No.614 Sqn RAF

Halifax II JN980

Took off Celone, Italy, 1111 on 15 March to carry out a sortie against the marshalling yards at Sofia, Bulgaria. W/T silence was observed until 0346 on 16 March when the aircraft signalled its ETA at base of 0410. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft and it failed to return to base .

1320939 F/Sgt (Pilot) Donald Herbert JACKSON RAFVR +
1679903 Sgt (Flt.Eng.) William Frederick HEARN RAFVR +
1333368 F/Sgt (Nav.) Philip Walter TEMPLER RAFVR +
1393906 F/Sgt (Air Bomber) George Frederick PRIDHAM RAFVR +
1128219 F/Sgt (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Walter LEE RAFVR +
AUS415668 F/Sgt (Air Gnr.) Robert Thomas LIGHTBODY* RAAF +

The body of Sgt Templer was recovered from the sea near Termoli on 16 May wearing a parachute and Mae West. A thorough search of the Termoli district was made but no trace of the remaining crew members was found. In 1947 it was recorded they had lost their lives at sea.

Hearn, Jackson, Lee, Lightfoot RAAF & Pridham are commemorated on the Malta Memorial, F/Sgt Templer is buried at Sangro River War Cemetery, Italy.

Sgt Lightfoot's date of death is incorrectly recorded on the DVA Nominal Roll as 16 April, 1944. It should read 16 March, 1944 - His 24th birthday!

Source: Basically, Storr (with a few refinements).

http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?21540-F-Sgt-Philip-W-Templer-RAFVR&highlight=LIGHTBODY&p=126031#post126031