LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Raymond Frank CRIPPS
Service No: 400969
Born: Glenferrie VIC, 13 February 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 December 1940
Unit: No. 12 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Wickenby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 12 Squadron Lancaster aircraft W4371), North Sea area, 9 January 1943, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William and Lily Ellen Rosa Cripps, of Bentleigh, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Moorabbin VIC
Remembered: Panel 192, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 9 January 1943 Lancaster W4371 took off from Wickenby, to carry out a mine laying operation in the St Peters Head area of the West Friesian Islands. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Following post war investigations and enquiries it was recorded in 1949 that the missing crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of W4371 were:
Warrant Officer II John Edward Bradley (R/87029) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Warrant Officer II John Albert Buick (R/87708) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Raymond Frank Cripps (400969) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant William Donald Dorey (1171809) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant George Denby Hester (1231807) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Warrant Officer II Donald Courtenay Marshall (R/92466) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Sydney Vincent Ramsay (771891) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator)
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, 166/8/9