LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Russell Lloyd CUMBERLAND
Service No: 403644
Born: Goulburn NSW, 27 September 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941
Unit: No. 50 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Skellingthorpe
Died: Air Operations (No. 50 Squadron Lancaster aircraft R5691), France, 24 October 1942, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Bayeux War Cemetery, Calvados, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur and Alice Rubina Cumberland, of Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Goulburn NSW
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Goulburn-Mulwaree Honour Roll 1939-1972, Goulburn NSW
At 1232 hours on 24 October 1942 Lancaster R5691 took off from Skellingthorpe for a daytime attack on Milan, Italy. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was established that the aircraft was shot down and crashed in the sea close to the coast in the vicinity of Meuvaines near Caen, France.
The crew members of R5691 were:
Sergeant Frank Adey (1332609) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Russell Lloyd Cumberland (403644) (Pilot)
Sergeant John St K Bernard Fern (1277581) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant John James Glendinning (991158) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Stanley Alfred Gregg (404420) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant James Temple Philpot (403532) (Navigator)
Sergeant Walter Scott (549357) (RAF) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 163/99/124
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line