LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Richard Lyndon BARRETT
Service No: 407071
Born: Malvern SA, 7 October 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 27 May 1940
Unit: No. 7 Squadron (RAF), RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 7 Squadron Stirling aircraft N6001), Germany, 30 June 1941, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Becklingen War Cemetery, Soltau, Niedersachsen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Darrell Pearson Barrett and Alice Maude Barrett, of Unley, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Unley SA
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Stirling N6001 took off from RAF Oakington at 2257 hours on the night of 29 June 1941 detailed to attack Hamburg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Following post war enquiries a Missing Research and Enquiry Unit reported that “On June 30th the aircraft was flying very low and apparently hedgehopping to avoid flak. The engines appeared to be running perfectly. At the approach to the field of Rosebrock the aircraft sank, hit the ground and exploded. The aircraft crashed at Stemmermuhlen bei Beverstedt, which is approximately 40 kms north of Bremen. All the crew members were killed with the remains of Squadron Leader Seale and Flight Sergeant Archer being identified”.
The crew members of N6001 were:
Flight Sergeant Harold Thorpe Archer (747939) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Richard Lyndon Barrett (407071) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Charles William Dryburgh Brown (902211) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Squadron Leader William Terrance Chambers Seale (37694) (RAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Bernard William Grocock (581015) (RAF) (Observer)
Flight Sergeant Roland Ernest Walls (551317) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Laurence Whittle (628887) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/90/139