LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Douglas Robert RUTHERFORD
Service No: 404203
Born: Brisbane QLD, 27 February 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 June 1940
Unit: No. 59 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station North Cotes
Died: Air Operations: (No. 59 Squadron Hudson aircraft AM796), North Sea, 2 March 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert and Gertrude Rutherford, of Maryborough, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Pialba QLD
Remembered: Panel 113, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0855 hours on 2 March 1942 Hudson AM796 took off from North Cotes on a Reefer Patrol over the North Sea. From then nothing further heard of either the aircraft or any member of the crew.
The crew members of AM796 were:
Flying Officer Donald Hunter Bain (404638) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Sergeant Winston Trevor Jones (402999) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Keith John Collinge Lauder (402510) (Pilot)
Sergeant Douglas Robert Rutherford (404203) (Air Observer)
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, 163/159/61