LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Roy Davidson HEATH
Service No: 424005
Born: Armadale VIC, 27 January 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 July 1942 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 58 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Stornoway
Died: Aircraft Operations: (No. 58 Squadron Halifax aircraft JP333), North Sea, 29 November 1944, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Rupert Clive and Nellie Davidson Heath; husband of Edna May Heath, of Stanmore, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 257, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Ku-ring-gai World War II Book of Remembrance, Gordon NSW
On the evening of 29 November 1944 Halifax JP333 took off from Stornoway to attack enemy shipping in the Skagerrak area. During the night a signal was received from the aircraft at 2020 hours that the aircraft had attacked a large enemy ship with bombs and estimate two hits. There was no indication of damage to the aircraft and nothing further was heard from JP 333 which did not return to Base. In a 1949 report it was stated that all efforts to find the aircraft and crew were unsuccessful and the crew members were recorded as missing lost at sea.
The crew members of JP333 were:
Flight Sergeant Ronald Charles Bidwell (1270997) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air)
Sergeant George Brogden (1590319) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Reginald Wilfred Crook (1317231) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air)
Flying Officer Roy Davidson Heath (424005) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Thomas Hughes (1236490) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air)
Flight Sergeant Jack Walter Massey (924839) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Mechanic/Air)
Flight Lieutenant Dudley Ronald McLeod (403083) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Edward Albert Turner (80472) (RAFVR) (Second 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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/17/877
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line