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This page commemorates

Warrant Officer Geoffrey James CUSTANCE (416938) of the Royal Australian Air Force

1944CUSTANCE416938.jpg


Circumstances of Death: Lost in aircraft Wellington BX LP130
 Forum Post

Date of Death 1944-07-07 Age : 21 years.

Served in 70 Sqdn

Burial/Commemoration Details : Coll. grave 10A. A. 4-7. at Belgrade War Cemetery, Serbia (Map)

More Details: SON OF JOHN LESLIE AND GLADYS MARION CUSTANCE, OF KENSINGTON PARK, SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Search Google for G J CUSTANCE

View Commonwealth War Graves Commission : G J CUSTANCE

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Aircraft Accident / Loss Entry

Aircraft Name: Wellington BX LP130 Date of Crash: 07 Jul 44 Unit Wireless Operator (Air) Airfield /Crash Location , Serbia
Aircrew details
Details
Source Henk Welting's Database

Other Casualities in Wellington BX LP130

Rank Name, Number, Trade & Details DateUnit Country Cemetery/Memorial & Loc Ref
Warrant Officer Class IIHenry Ramsay CARRUTHERS (R/160554) Air Bomber Wellington BX LP130  Forum Post 1944-07-0770 Sqdn AIR27 SerbiaBelgrade War Cemetery
Warrant OfficerGeoffrey James CUSTANCE (416938) Wellington BX LP130  Forum Post 1944-07-0770 Sqdn AIR27 SerbiaBelgrade War Cemetery
SergeantBarrie John Nigel HACKETT (1582756) Air Gunner Wellington BX LP130  Forum Post 1944-07-0770 Sqdn AIR27 SerbiaBelgrade War Cemetery
SergeantMervyn Cyril HUNT (1339299) Wireless Op Wellington BX LP130  Forum Post 1944-07-0770 Sqdn AIR27 SerbiaBelgrade War Cemetery

Related Posts in RAF Commands Forums - Exact Search

ThreadPost Text
Wellington X LR130
by COL BRUGGY
on 23 Jan 2011 13:36		Hello Alex, I have just been informed, that in all probability the No.70 Sqn Wellington lost on 6/7-7-1944, was LP130 "D". Looks as if MARG is right, and Storr is wrong, again! A minor point, was the fact that the sole survivor, 141987 F/O (Nav.) Derek Hylton MALING RAFVR, joined the Met Branch post-war. Col. ....Read More.
Wellington X LR130
by malcolm_raf
on 23 Jan 2011 14:46		Hi All According to Air Britain, LP130 was lost in 1944 with 70 Sqn as stated and LR130 was lost in 1947 in the circumstances described by Alan Malcolm ....Read More.
Wellington X LR130
by David Gunby
on 23 Jan 2011 18:15		Hi. I can confirm that LP130 of 70 Sqn was indeed D, as Col thought. David ....Read More.
Wellington X LR130
by Litcham_Lad
on 23 Jan 2011 19:53		Col, Regarding your original query LR130 was a Wellington X of 26OTU which collided with JA349 whilst taxying at Honeybourne on 22-Aug-47, a rather different history to that of LP130 dg ....Read More.
Wellington X LR130
by wwrsimon
on 04 May 2020 09:26		Re: Wellington X LR130 Hello A quick bump for this thread. Derek Hylton Maling's daughter was on the Antiques Roadshow yesterday with several items which may be of interest. It's on iPlayer here from 36' 30" onwards: [URL]https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m000hyqm/antiques-roadshow-series-42-national-botanic-garden-of-wales-2[/URL] Includes a document with crew list, aircraft serial LP130, but has the code letter as 'B'. Regards Simon ....Read More.
Wellington X LR130
by COL BRUGGY
on 05 May 2020 05:03		Re: Wellington X LR130 Simon, Could you give us unfortunate "Colonials" the benefit of a description of the so-called document. The "BEEB", in their wisdom, won't allow us plebs a glimpse at said program - they claim, 'Rights Issues" - Fair enough. 1/. Is the document type-written? 2/. Is it "Official"? 3/. Any clues as to its origins? The following should be noted: LN873 "B"/ 70 Sqn. appears in the ORB (F.541) as such, on 26/27.6.44 (p.19 of 23), and again on 29/30.6.44 (p.22 of 23). LP130 "D" (Custance), as such, in the ORB (F.541), 25/26.6.44 (p.18 of 23) and 28/29.6.44 (p.20 of 23). Find it hard to believe there were two ""D"'s on 70 Sqn at the same time. Geoff Custance was a very lucky man, as the following story indicates: [url]http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43213644[/ ....Read More.
Wellington X LR130
by COL BRUGGY
on 05 May 2020 10:32		Re: Wellington X LR130 Simon, Thanks for that! I have no problems with most of what is on the sheet, but the facts are; W/O G. J. Custance RAAF was known to have been piloting Wellington X LP130 "D'' on 7th July, 1944. Three independent sources attest to that fact (possibly all derived from the one source, ie, the 70 Sqn ORB). Col. ....Read More.
Wellington X LR130
by Zoran Petek
on 05 May 2020 19:07		Re: Wellington X LR130 [IMG]https://www.zagorje-international.hr/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/engleskinja-7.jpg[/IMG] [B]Maling's daughter in Klanjec, Croatia, last summer[/B] (from [url]https://www.zagorje-international.hr/index.php/2019/07/09/prava-hollywoodska-prica-odlucila-sam-doci-sama-i-istinski-prozivjeti-pricu-svog-oca/[/url]) F/O Maling said: "The aircraft was set on fire in the port wing and petrol tank. A few seconds after putting on my chute, the aircraft went into a spin and I became unconscious. I remember nothing but am of the opinion that the aircraft exploded in the air." It seems that Wellington LP130/D after that flew some 20 km more. Croatian wartime report: "Noću 6/7. VII srušio se 1 neprijateljski zrakoplov kod Pregrade kraj Krapine, 4 člana posade s ....Read More.
Wellington X LR130
by wwrsimon
on 10 Jan 2025 14:20		[QUOTE=COL BRUGGY;n238044]Re: Wellington X LR130 Geoff Custance was a very lucky man, as the following story indicates: [url]http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article43213644[/url] This incident occurred on 25/26.6.44. No.70 Sqn was detailed to attack the Shell Koolaz Oil Refinery on Czepel Island at Bucharest. W/O Custance (flying Wellington X LP130 "D"), collided with another Wellington after leaving the target area. Custance's Wellington lost 6-7 feet of its port wing, despite this, he was able, with the aid of the 2nd pilot, to bring his aircraft safely back to base (Foggia No.2/Tortorella). See: 70 Sqn ORB (F.540), p.13 of 15. Thanks, Col.[/QUOTE] Interestingly the ORB Form 541 records that LP130 was back on ops on June 28/29 1944 - the groundcrew must have been very busy! Simon ....Read More.
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