LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert Russell DENHOLM
Service No: 417567
Born: Adelaide SA, 18 July 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 June 1942
Unit: No. 115 Squadron (RAF), RAF Witchford, Cambridgeshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 115 Squadron Lancaster aircraft HK544), North West Europe, 18 October 1944, aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James William and Myra Pauline Denholm, of Cumberland Park, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Willowie SA
Remembered: Panel 260, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster HK544 of 115 Squadron took off From RAF Station Witchford at 0831 hours on 18 October 1944, to attack Bonn, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations it was recorded in 1950 that the missing crew members had no known grave.
The crew members of HK544 were:
Sergeant John Charles Constable (1890908) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Robert Russell Denholm (417567) (Wireless Operator/Air)
Sergeant Thomas Greener (1673038) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Eric Thomas Mason (1814786) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant George Jack Rutson (1894564) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Ivan George Skelton (1527140 (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flying Officer Kenneth Victor Smith (423077) (Pilot)
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, 166/9/425