LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Keith Robert HENDREN

Service No: 434787
Born: Toowoomba QLD, 14 September 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 29 January 1943
Unit: No. 101 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Ludford Magna
Died: Air Operations: (No. 101 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PB256), Germany, 1 February 1945, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Durnbach War Cemetery, Bad Tolz, Bayern, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George Robert and Eunice Augusta Hendren, of Toowong, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Toowong QLD
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Lancaster PB256 took off from Ludford Magna at 1550 hours on the night of 1/2 February 1945, detailed to carry out specialist ABC (Air Borne Cigar – electronic jamming) duties in support of a raid on Ludwigshafen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. Captured German documents revealed that the aircraft was shot down at approximately 2030 hours on 1 February 1945, and crashed 3miles east of Mundemhein-Gartenstadt, in the district of Ludwigshafen. All the crew members were killed.

The crew members of PB256 were:

Sergeant Randal Roy Etherton (2227596) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer Robert John Clark (421091) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Norman Charles Gordon (2235366) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Keith Robert Hendren (434787) (Navigator)
Sergeant George Wilfred Higginson (1897585) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Leonard Richard Ironmonger (2202044) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Jack Kenny (J/47772) (RCAF) (Navigator) (Specialist Equipment Operator)
Flight Sergeant James Martin Manning McGinn (425582) (RNZAF) (Air Bomber)

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, 166/17/982

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