LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Frederick Thomas Robert BRUCE
Service No: 423780
Born: Sydney NSW, 1 April 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 July 1942
Unit: No. 207 Squadron (RAF), RAF Spilsby, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: Assault on NW Europe (No. 207 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ME685), France, 6 April 1944, Aged 32 Years
Buried: Toulouse (La Fourguette) Communal Cemetery, Haute-Garonne, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick Wilson Bruce and Esther Jane Bruce; husband of Adelaide Dorothy Bruce, of Kensington, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Kingsford NSW
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster ME685 took off from RAF Spilsby at 2020 hours on the night of 5 April 1944, detailed to attack the aircraft works at Toulouse, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire, exploded with great force and crashed at 0030 hours on 6 April 1944, some 5 kms from the centre of the city and all the crew were killed.
The crew members of ME685 were:
Flight Sergeant Frederick Robert Thomas Bruce (423780) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Thornton Read (1601667) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Stanley Walter Sayce (1318013) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer John Raymond Senior (1057241) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer William John Waycott (415706) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Henry Wilson (1852344) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Arthur Frederick Woolley (1819373) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
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, 166/6/473