LEST WE FORGET

Flying Officer Robert Bruce McDOUGALL

Service No: 410609
Born: Moreland VIC, 25 September 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 30 January 1942
Unit: No. 460 Squadron, RAF Station Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 460 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ED586), France, 11 April 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Maubeuge Centre Cemetery, Nord, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Johnstone McDougall and Christina Galway McDougall, of Ascot Vale, Victoria, Australia. B.A.
Roll of Honour: Melbourne VIC
Remembered: Panel 108, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Date: 10-11 April 1944
Target: Aulnoye Marshalling Yards
Total Force: Dispatched – 140, Attacking – 130
RAAF Force: No. 460 Dispatched – Unavailable, Attacking – 13
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 791
Total Aircraft Lost: 7
RAAF Aircraft Lost: 1

Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 27

Lancaster ED586 took off from RAF Binbrook at 2341 hours on 10 April 1944 to bomb the railway junction and marshalling yards at Aulnoye, France. The bomb load was 12 x 1000 lb (pound) (450 kg) bombs. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Twelve aircraft from the squadron took part in the raid. It was established post war that the aircraft crashed at Vieux Mesnil at 0230 hours on 11 April 1944. All the crew members had been killed.

The crew members of ED586 were:

Flight Sergeant William George Hogg (429322) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Robert Bruce McDougall (410609) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Austin Hardcastle Palfreyman (425207) (Bomb Aimer)
Flying Officer Arthur Harold Probert (420054) (Pilot)
Sergeant Dennis Robbins (1338956) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flying Officer Keith Francis Ryan (418695) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Basil Guy Wiseman (1603151) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)

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, 166/26/418

Bibliography:

Firkins, P. C. (Peter Charles) (441386) Strike and Return, Westward Ho Publishing City Beach WA, 1985

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