LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert Alexander NIELD
Service No: 409581
Born: Pakenham VIC, 1 September 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 1941
Unit: No. 158 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Lissett
Died: Air Operations: (No. 158 Squadron Halifax aircraft LW259), Netherlands, 22 October 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Rotterdam (Crooswijk) General Cemetery, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert Alexander Nield and Rosalind Nield, of Balranald, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Balranald NSW
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Balranald War Memorial, Balranald NSW
At 1720 hours on the night of 22 October 1943 Halifax LW259 took off from Lissett detailed to bomb Kassel, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft fire and crashed at 1950 hours at Goudswaard (Zuid) Holland which is 16 kms south west of Rotterdam. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of LW259 were:
Flight Sergeant Raymond James Farrelly (40380) (RNZAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant George Prosser Finlay (1045568) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Edwin Arthur Harris (410861) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant William Hartley (1567021) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer Barrington Horsfield Marshall (159048) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Robert Alexander Nield (409581) (Observer)
Sergeant Charles Henry Morgan Wilson (1264302) (RAFVR) (Mid 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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/29/64
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line