LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Robert Harold KENCH
Service No: 437135
Born: Riverton SA, 18 January 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 November 1942
Unit: No. 218 Squadron (RAF), RAF Chedburgh, Suffolk
Died: Air Operations (No. 218 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NG330), Germany, 31 December 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Harold Owen Kench and Madaliene Hilda Kench, of Auburn, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Auburn SA
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster NG330 took off from RAF Chedburgh at 1115 hours on the 31st December 1944, detailed to bomb Vohwinkel. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Solingen, Germany, and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of NG330 were:
Sergeant John Barton (1622233) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Fred Bennett (434492) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Robert Harold Kench (437135) (Pilot)
Sergeant Dennis Walter Maycock (1899304) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Roy Morley (1866330) (RAF) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Victor Thomas Phillips (2211498) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Celt Williams (1316112) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
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, 166/22/391