454 and 459 RAAF Squadrons
Flying Officer Kenneth Joseph WIBLIN
459 RAAF Squadron
Service No. 422068
Date of Birth: 8 Dec 1921
Place of Birth: COONAMBLE, NSW
Date of Enlistment: 24 Apr 1942
Date of Discharge: 4 Mar 1946
Rank: Flying Officer
Date of Death: Died - 12 Jul1998
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Crew:
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Reg Calvert - Pilot
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Ken Wiblin - NavB
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Roy Mahoney - WAG
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Ross Smith - WAG
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Ken Wiblin's 459 crew were involved in the day/night harassment of the many strong but beleaguered German garrisons still occupying and fiercely defending Aegean and Cretan strongholds. Once very early in 1945, whilst dropping leaflets over heavily defended Western Crete, they were hit by flak and force-landed on an undefended and heavily pock marked airstrip in Eastern Crete. They were welcomed, garlanded and feted by local partisan communities as eagerly awaited forerunners of Allied re-occupation forces. Newspaper articles [see below] and photographs recorded their triumphant reception.