LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Colin Ross GORDON
Service No: 417069
Born: Adelaide SA, 12 March 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 100 Squadron (RAF), RAF Grimsby, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 100 Squadron Lancaster aircraft EE181), Germany, 31 August 1943, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alexander Ross Gordon and Hilda Gordon, of Millicent, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Millicent SA
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster EE181 took off from RAF Grimsby at 2356 hours on the night of 30/31st August 1943, detailed to bomb Monchengladbach, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed in the target area and five of the crew were killed and two became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of EE181 were:
Sergeant Percy Arch (1332097) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Frederick Archibald Campbell (R/1237250 (RCAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Colin Ross Gordon (417069) (Air Bomber)
Warrant Officer Clifford Howard Harris (980470) (RAF) (Pilot) PoW
Sergeant Jack Jennings (1134637) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Ronald David McClure (414502) (Navigator) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 25 October 1945
Sergeant Harry Moran (1095964) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Warrant Officer Harris later reported “I believe the Air Bomber baled out over the target as the incident occurred over the target. Gordon was alive and not injured in any way. I have no knowledge of what happened after that.”
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, 166/16/170