LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Keith Anzac COOMBE
Service No: 416829
Born: Berri SA, 25 April 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941
Unit: No. 512 Squadron (RAF), RAF Broadwell, Oxfordshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 512 Squadron Dakota aircraft KG307) France, 7 June 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Hermanville War Cemetery, Calvados, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Herbert Stanley Coombe and Elsie Ada Coombe; husband of Dorothy Elsie Coombe, of Glenunga, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Berri SA
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
On the night of 6 June 1944, Dakota KG307 took off from RAF Station Broadwell at 2235 hours, detailed to carry out a pannier dropping operation over Caen, France. The aircraft was carrying 16 panniers on the mission. No contact was made with the aircraft after take off, radio silence being observed. The formation of aircraft was intact until five minutes off the French coast. An aircraft captained by Flight Lieutenant Gough on return stated that he had seen an aircraft burning on the beach at about 2359 hours, on the 6th June. The specialist equipment carried was Gee and Rebecca. A Missing Research & Enquiry team later reported that the aircraft had crashed at the mouth of the Orne River, and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of KG307 were:
Flying Officer William Stanley Brennan (411427) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Keith Anzac Coombe (416829) (Co-Pilot)
Sergeant Ivan Charles Seager (1800403) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer William Henry Stacey Toyne (425075) (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, 166/8/497