LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Ronald Ward TAYLOR
Service No: 403844
Born: Waratah NSW, 19 July 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 march 1941
Unit: No, 103 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Elsham Wolds
Died: Air Operations: (No. 103 Squadron Halifax II aircraft W1223), France, 25 October 1942, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Moulin-Sous-Touvent Communal Cemetery, Oise, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Nelson and Gwendoline Taylor, of Parkdale, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Newcastle NSW
Remembered: Panel 131, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Halifax W1223 took off from RAF Elsham Wolds at 1844 hours on the night of 24/25 October 1942, detailed to bomb Milan, Italy. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Moulin-Sous-Touvent, 18kms north east of Compiegne, France and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of W1223 were:
Sergeant Sidney Arthur Claridge (1331580) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Stanley Victor Goodhew (1265668) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Kevin William McAuliffe (1314722) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant James Molesworth (R/85993) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Bernard Dudley Swain (547856) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Ronald Ward Taylor (403844) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Ernest Adam Wagstaff (121733) (RAFVR) (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, 163/165/142
Bibliography:
Charlwood, D.E.C. (Donald Ernest Cameron) (408794) No Moon Tonight (Angus and Robertson 1956), Penguin Ringwood VIC, 3134, 1991