The Courier-Mail Sat 15 Nov 1947 Page 14 Family Notices
Pilot Officer Ronald John FUREY, 404332
On 15 November 1941 Pilot Officer Ronald John Furey, known as Ron, was the Pilot aboard Wellington Mk.IV R1775. The crew of R1775 on this day were:
Pilot P/O Furey, Ronald John AUS404332
Co-Pilot Sgt Cox, Alexander Lewis AUS400460
Observer P/O Goldman, William AUS400403
W/O Sgt Rowland, Eric 1050936
Air Gunner, Front Sgt Pepper, Douglas Bertram 946888
Air Gunner, Rear Sgt
Duffield, Henry William 745531
The 458 Sqn Operational Record Book states that that R1775 took off from RAF Holme-on-Spalding-Moor at 17:17 with the target as Emden, Germany. The record of events simply states that they did not return to base and that the last communication was received at 20:35.
Wg Cdr Mulholland wrote in his circumstantial report that “Three Q.D.M.s were given to this aircraft at approximately the time of E.T.A. at target, the last being strength 6 nothing further was heard from this aircraft, and a square search by 7 aircraft as far East as 3 degrees East failed to reveal any information as to their whereabouts.” A QDM is a Magnetic heading to steer.
“News” newspaper, Adelaide, Wednesday 26 November 1941, Page 1
In a letter on 16 September 1942, Ron’s father, Arthur John Furey, wrote to the Australian Department of Air and stated “I understand a Distress Signal was sent out immediately after he left the Target”, but it is not clear where he obtained this information as this doesn’t appear in any prior correspondence nor in Ron’s casualty file before this point. A follow up telegram from RAAF Kingsway to the Air Board in Melbourne on 6 October 1942 clarifies that on the day of the crash ‘Section G’ called R1775 on the Safety Frequency but received no response. R1775’s last message was seemingly to request a bearing; “continuous efforts were made to give it a bearing, but no further contact was made”.
A further letter sent to Arthur John Furey on 22 March 1949 states that “all efforts to find any trace of your son’s aircraft or to establish whether the bodies of any members of the crew were ever recovered for burial, have proved unsuccessful. In view of this complete lack of evidence, it is now concluded that your son and his comrades were lost at sea.”
As mentioned by Mulholland and by the newspaper clippings, 458 Sqn sent out 7 aircraft on 16 November 1941 to search the North Sea for evidence of R1775. Sgt Opas was a member of one of the crews sent to conduct the search, in a letter home he wrote: “Up to the time this letter goes to press I’ve done 6 trips & 1 North Sea sweep looking for one of our planes that came down in the said sea.”
The Courier Mail, Brisbane, Wednesday 26 November 1941, Page 3
Ronald John Furey was born on 29 April 1916 to Arthur James and Mary Furey, of Camp Hill, Queensland, Australia. Before the war, Ron studied at Brisbane Technical College with fellow 458 Sqn members Eric Gayford Lloyd and Eric Frank Saggers. Following his education, Ron became a business manager for ‘Economy Printers Pty Ltd’, of Elizabeth Street, Brisbane. He signed up first to the RAAF reserves in April 1940 before his call up proper in August. In June, Ron was best man at the wedding of his brother, Desmond Arthur Furey.
After completing training at No 5 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) at Narromine, NSW in late 1940 along with Eric Saggers and Eric Lloyd, Ron embarked for Canada on 28 December 1940 joining No 4 Service Flying Training School (4SFTS) at Saskatoon earning his flying badge on 16 May 1941. Whilst at 4SFTS Ron accumulated 142 flying hours across Tiger Moths, Ansons, Harvards and Cessna Cranes. He then sailed for England to join 21 Operational Training Unit (21OTU) at RAF Moreton-in-Marsh in September prior to his posting to 458 Squadron later that month.
Ron Furey (left) and Peter Hickey (right) in their quarters at RAF Holme-On-Spalding-Moor
(source: https://www.458raafsquadron.org/honour-roll/servicemens-stories/hickey-b-p)
