LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Albert Ronald RIX
Service No: 410029
Born: Geelong VIC. 1 November 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 7 November 1941
Unit: No. 62 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 62 Squadron Dakota aircraft KG457), Myanmar, 2 August 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Taukkyan War Cemetery, Myanmar
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Albert Alexander Rix and May Stewart Rix, of Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Geelong VIC
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Dakota KG457 took off at 1400 hours on 2 August 1944 detailed to carry out a supply drop in the Chin Hills. KG457 set course in company with a Hurricane escort, which turned back after 20 minutes due to the weather. The Dakota did not turn back and failed to return from the mission. Initial searches found nothing, and search operations were suspended for many years due to a civil war in Burma. In August 1954 the Army reported it had found a wreck and five bodies not far from Kalam and 2 miles south west of Roshi near Falam. The aircraft had crashed in wild country in the Chin Hills near the northern boundary of India and Burma in position 23.00N 093.29E. It was presumed that the aircraft had flow into a hillside in cloud during monsoon conditions.
The crew members of KG457 were:
Flight Sergeant Russell Gordon Brown (Pilot) (1319585) (RAFVR)
Flight Sergeant John Edward Ray Courthope (1431802) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Warrant Officer Hildebrand Alfred Johansson (392043) (RNZAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sepoy Augustine Pinto (SR/205152) (Royal Indian Army Service Corps)
Warrant Officer Albert Ronald Rix (410029) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
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, 166/35/324