LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Raymond Kennedy GIBSON DFC
Service No: 414482
Born: Brisbane QLD, 14 November 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941
Unit: No. 609 Squadron (RAF)
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 12 February 1946
Died: Air Operations: (No. 609 Squadron Typhoon aircraft RB311, Germany, 14 February 1945, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Raymond Stanley and Janet Ivie Gibson, of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
DFC Citation: “Flight Lieutenant Gibson has taken part in a large number of varied operations which have included attacks on canals, headquarters and dumps, gun positions and bridges. Immediately prior to D Day, Flight Lieutenant Gibson took part in a number of successful attacks on heavily defended installations and throughout the campaign destroyed and damaged enemy transports and tanks. In September 1944, he took part in operations against gun positions in the Calais area, inflicting severe damage in the face of heavy opposition. Flight Lieutenant Gibson has proved to be a fearless pilot and flight commander.” (London Gazette 12 February 1946, page 903)
On 14 February 1945, Typhoon RB311 crashed at Pfalzdorf, five miles north east of Goch, Germany and Flight Lieutenant Gibson was killed.
A report on the loss from a Member of Flight Lieutenant Gibson’s Section is as follows: “on 14 February 1945, I was flying as Red 3 in Flight Lieutenant Gibson’s section. We were orbiting the north east of Goch at 3000 feet, when he was suddenly hit in the starboard tank by flak which appeared to be of 40mm calibre. The tank caught fire and I saw him pull up to starboard approximately 200 feet. He then turned over on his port side and then dived vertically to the ground covered in flames. A pin-point of us was 10 miles north east of Goch. I did not see anything leave the aircraft and believe he was not able to leave the aircraft right from the time it was hit until it hit the ground and exploded.”
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, 166/15/415