LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Ronald McGregor HERMAN
Service No: 407030
Born: Largs Bay SA, 15 February 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 29 April 1940
Unit: No. 37 Squadron (RAF), Shallufa, Egypt
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 37 Squadron Wellington aircraft Z9038), Malta, 9 March 1942, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas Ernest and Jessie Perry Herman, of Woodville, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 5, Column 2, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Brother of Sergeant James Alexander Herman (407713) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Wellington aircraft Z9038 and DV483 were involved in a head on collision at RAF Station Luqa on the night of 8/9th March 1942. Both aircraft had been dispersed on the aerodrome and were brought out for the night’s operations. Z 9038 had been parked near the windward end of the runway and obliged to taxi up it to get to the take off end. The aircraft entered the flare path at the time DV 483 was taking off without receiving permission from the control point. Downward recognition lights were not being used owing to the pool of light and consequent risk of bombing. DV 483 was almost airborne when it crashed into Z 9038 taxying down the flare path and the two machines burst into flames. The mines and bombs on board both aircraft started to explode and rescue work continued in spite of the difficulty.
The crew members of Z9038 were:
Flying Officer C I L Boyd (43962) (RAF) (Pilot) Injured
Sergeant Ronald McGregor Herman (407030) (Wireless Air Gunner) Missing
Flying Officer T S Kirkman (77941) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) Injured
Sergeant Norman John Knight (402077) (Observer) Fatally injured, Died 9 March 1942
Sergeant A G Thomas (613310) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot) Injured
Sergeant H Williams (1050931) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) Injured
The crew members of DV483 were:
Warrant Officer I Stanley John Kozlowski (R/54174) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant J H B Marcotte (R/77063) (RCAF) (Second Pilot) Injured
Sergeant Emrys Goodfellow (1167272) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Vincent Francis O’Hagan (404411) (Wireless Air Gunner) Injured: Discharged from the RAAF: 8 April 1945
Sergeant A Thomas (1079226) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) Injured
Sergeant Henry Norman Walker (400312) (Wireless Air Gunner)
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, 163/121/146