LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Samuel Thomas John RUNDLE
Service No: 416791
Born: Fremantle WA, 7 February 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 September 1941 (at Adelaide SA)
Unit: No. 44 Squadron (RAF), RAF Dunholme Lodge, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 44 Squadron Lancaster aircraft DV155), Germany, 4 September 1943, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Samuel Clifford and Bessie Rundle, of Nailsworth, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster DV155 took off from RAF Dunholme Lodge at 1959 hours on the night of 3/4th September 1943 to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. It was later established that the aircraft crashed at Neuruppin, Germany, and six of the crew were killed one became a Prisoner of War.
The crew members of DV155 were:
Flight Sergeant Norman Edwin Bellman (40597) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant William Ernest Caudell (1313217) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Percy Crow (641113) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant William Findlay (1365331) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Raymond Trevor Gregory (408348) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Samuel Thomas John Rundle (416791) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Jack Ruby (409598) (Navigator) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 22 January 1946
Warrant Officer Ruby later reported “Attacked by two fighters while trying to get out of searchlight cone. Starboard inner set alight, inter com unserviceable and Aircraft went into s steep dive out of control. Was told be engineer who was attending the pilot to bale out. Passed word back to WOP. Bomb Aimer did not have his chute on when I reached the escape hatch which he had found difficult in clearing so he let me try while he put on his chute. I was first to leave Aircraft. No one appeared injured. Did not take me long to reach the ground. Crashed about 20 miles north of Berlin. Evaded capture for five days, but caught by two Germans when leaving freight train I was travelling on.”
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, 166/36/110