LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert Henry ROYES
Service No: 434018
Born: Brisbane QLD, 14 June 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 460 Squadron, RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 460 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PB 567), Germany, 31 October 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Rheinberg War Cemetery, Kamp Lintfort, Nordrhein-Westfal, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Bathurst Hougham Royes and Lilian Marie Royes, of Coorparoo, Queensland, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 108, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Date: 31 October 1944
Target: Cologne
Total Force: Dispatched – 905, Attacking – 870
RAAF Force: No. 460 Dispatched – 23, Attacking – 23; No. 462 Dispatched – 3, Attacking – 3; No. 466 Dispatched – 10, Attacking – 10
Tons of Bombs Dropped: 2,402
Total Aircraft Lost: 1
RAAF Aircraft Lost: No. 460 – 1
Bomber Command continued its hammer blows with three attacks against Cologne within four days from 28th October. No. 460 flew in the opening daylight raid and was joined in each of the night raids by Nos. 462 and 466. Cologne had suffered only one major raid in 15 months but this new series rained 9,406 tons of bombs throughout the city and caused widespread destruction and temporary dislocation of power and transport facilities.
Extracts from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 302, 305
Lancaster PB 567 took off from RAF Binbrook at 1802 hours on 31 October 1944 to bomb Cologne, Germany. Bomb load 1 x 4000 lb (pound) (1,800 kg) and 4 x 500 lb (225 kg) bombs, 630 x 4 lb (2 kg) incendiaries. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Twenty three aircraft from the squadron took part in the raid and one of these PB 567 failed to return.
The crew members of PB567 were:
Sergeant Raymond Charles Coley (1895090) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Arthur Francis Emery DFC (424263) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Maxwell Alfred Flory (422943) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant John Haley (1127618) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Mervyn Marshall (427527) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer Edward Forbes Reid DFC (427044) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Robert Henry Royes (434018) (Wireless Operator 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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/36/378
Bibliography:
Firkins, P. C. (Peter Charles) (441386) Strike and Return, Westward Ho Publishing City Beach WA, 1985