LEST WE FORGET

Flying Officer Robert William BROWN DFC

Service No: 414768
Born: Toowoomba QLD, 2 August 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 November 1941
Unit: No. 35 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Graveley
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 12 February 1946
Died: Air Operations: (No. 35 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ND755), France, 20 October 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Wintzenbach Protestant Churchyard, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert and Margaret Brown, of Manly Vale, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

DFC Citation: Flying Officer Brown was awarded a General Citation promulgated in London Gazette 12 February 1946, page 904.

At 1756 hours on the night of 19 October 1944, Lancaster ND755 took off from Graveley detailed to bomb Stuttgart, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Wintzenbach (Bas-Rhin), 5 kms north of Seltz., and all the crew members were killed.

The crew members of ND755 were:

Flight Sergeant Reginald Francis Jack Bright (1800892) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer Robert William Brown DFC (414768) (Pilot)
Flying Officer John Anthony Creemer Clarke DFC (177263) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Colin Johnson (1819247) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Edmond Joseph Kiely (2211230) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Pilot Officer Adam Linton DFC (158128) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Frank David Thomas Phillips (1128364) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Warrant Officer Dennis Thompson DFC (1090928) (RAFVR) (Second Air Bomber)

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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/6/750

Book Now Book Now