LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert Athol BUNTINE
Service No: 403554
Born: Petersham NSW, 19 January 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941
Unit: No. 1435 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations (No. 1435 Squadron Spitfire aircraft EP197), Central Mediterranean 13 August 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Athol Dowe and Christina McNab Buntine, of Crookwell, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 5, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Crookwell War Memorial, Crookwell NSW
Remembered: Australia Remembers 1945-1995 Memorial, Lane Cove NSW
At 0750 hours on 13 August 1942 Spitfire EP197 was one of 3 Spitfires which took off from Luqa, Malta, and when approximately 100 miles west of Malta, the aircraft were intercepted and attacked by 5 enemy fighters over a convoy. Flight Sergeant Buntine’s Spitfire was shot down during the combat. The aircraft was last seen spinning towards the sea. There was no later report that he had been picked up by the convoy or escort vessels. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was recorded in 1948 that Flight Sergeant Buntine had lost his life at sea.
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, 163/94/263
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line