LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Alan Blakiston ROBINSON

Service No: 425220
Born: Maryborough QLD, 24 August 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 January 19442
Unit: No. 138 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Tempsford
Died: Air Operations (No. 138 Squadron Halifax aircraft JD179), France, 17 August 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Ecorcei Churchyard, Orne, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Blakiston and Alice Ann Robinson, of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Maroochydore QLD
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

On the night of 17 August 1943 Halifax JD179 took off from Tempsford on a Special Operations Executive (SOE) Operation BOB 43/44, and set course for France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed near Ecorcei (Orne), France. Six of the crew members were killed and one was fatally injured.

The crew members of JD179 were:

Sergeant Horace George Ansell (1472439) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Francis Boles (1349988) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant William Stuart Davies (941487) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW, Fatally injured, Died: 19 August 1943
Sergeant George William Francis Duckett (1817929) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Norman Wood Hayter (412439) (Pilot)
Sergeant John Albert Hutchinson (1387540) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Alan Blakiston Robinson (425220) (Air 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, 166/36/102

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