LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Walter Boscawen RANCLAUD

Service No: 405502
Born: Toowoomba QLD, 14 December 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 March 1941
Unit: No. 460 Squadron, RAF Station Breighton, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 460 Squadron Lancaster aircraft W4310), Germany, 4 April 1943, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Kiel War Cemetery, Kiel, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Maj. Ernest Boscawen Ranclaud, M.C., and Margaretta Ranclaud, of Forster, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Cloncurry QLD
Remembered: Panel 108, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

All three Australian squadrons joined in an attack against Kiel on 4th-5th April, but in bad weather only poor results were gained.

Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1954 – Page 498

Lancaster W4310 took off from RAF Breighton at 2052 hours on 4 April 1943 to attack Kiel, Germany. The bomb load was 11 x 1000 lb (pound) (450 kg) bombs. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Thirteen aircraft from the squadron took part in the raid. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was established that the aircraft was hit by flak and crashed at 2325 hours on 4 April 1943 near Bordesholm between Munster and Kiel. All the crew had been killed.

The crew members of W4310 were:

Flight Sergeant Robert Frederick Cooksey (1335476) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer Ronald Gooding (401209) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer John Gordon Lee (403363) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Harry Lloyd (1058003) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Lieutenant Kay Moore DFC (400595) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Walter Boscawen Ranclaud (405502) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Bruce Kinley Rust (411192) (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, 166/35/41

Bibliography:

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

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