LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Alfred Thomas ROBERTS
Service No: 413666
Born: Upper MacDonald NSW, 9 March 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 1941
Unit: No. 60 Operational Training Unit (RAF), RAF Station High Ercall, Shropshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 60 Operational Training Unit Mosquito aircraft W4086), Shropshire, 29 September 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Chester (Blacon) Cemetery, Cheshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alfred Albert and Mabel Lydia Roberts, husband of Doreen Roberts, of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada
Roll of Honour: Burwood NSW
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At approximately 1440 hours on the 29 September 1944, Mosquito W4086 took off from High Ercall detailed to carry out a solo non-operational day training flight including a sector reconnaissance and radio homings. During there flight the aircraft went into a spin from which it did not recover and Flight Lieutenant Roberts was killed in the crash. A Court of Inquiry into the crash stated: “it was possible that the Pilot may have forgotten to change over from the outer tanks after take off. He had been airborne for one hour, the normal endurance of a Mosquito on outer tanks.”
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, 166/36/364