LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Richard Thomas Percival SAVAGE
Service No: 425365
Born: Ipswich QLD, 22 August 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 February 1942
Unit: No. 199 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station North Creake
Died: Air Operations: (No. 199 Squadron Stirling aircraft LJ518), Norfolk, 25 September 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Richard Francis and Mary Elizabeth Savage, of Tivoli Hill, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Rockhampton QLD
Remembered: Panel 130, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1902 hours on the night of 25September 1944 Stirling LJ518 took off from North Creake detailed to carry out a special mission and provide a Mandrell (electronic warfare jammer for German Freya and Wurzburg radars) screen. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. On returning from the operation the aircraft was descending through cloud when it ploughed into tree tops. Power was applied and the aircraft climbed steeply before diving into the ground at 2145 hours at Edgefield Street, 3 miles north north west of Sculthorpe in Norfolk. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of LJ518 were:
Flying Officer Leonard Alfred Barham (137581) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Pilot Officer Francis Reginald Chatwin (179033) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Colin Silkirk Henderson (426126) (RNZAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Ambrose William Loveland (1896159) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant John William Naylor (1898436) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Pyrs Owen Roberts (2210829) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Robert Campbell Saddler (1271349) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant Richard Thomas Percival Savage (425365) (Navigator)
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, 166/37/555