LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Richard WEEKES
Service No: 437606
Born: Helensburgh NSW, 3 April 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 23 March 1943 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 576 Squadron (RAF), RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 576 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LL799), France, 29 July 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Cronenbourg French National Cemetery, Bas-Rhin, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alfred and Celeana Weekes, of Helensburgh, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Helensburgh NSW
Remembered: Panel 132, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
The DVA record shows Flight Sergeant Weekes enlisting from NSW – however, he has a SA service number (437XXX) and is listed on the SA Memorial.
On the night of 28 July 1944, Lancaster LL799 took off from RAF Elsham Wolds at 2135 hours, detailed to carry out a bombing attack on Stuttgart, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off, and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research and Enquiry team later reported: “The aircraft crashed near the village of Weyersheim at about 0230 hours on the 29th July 1944, after an attack by a night fighter.” Weyersheim is approx 15 kms north north east from the centre of Strasbourg, France. Five of the crew were killed and two became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of LL799 were:
Flying Officer Ronald William Brown (417454) (Pilot)
Sergeant Douglas Roland Northcote (1807929) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant S W Barrows (1580168) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Flying Officer Reginald Stewart McGibbon (J/20908) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Robert James Lionel McStay (426661) (Wireless Air Gunner) PoW, Discharged from the RAAF: 9 November 1945
Flight Sergeant Stephen Allen Smith (35590) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Richard Weekes (437606) (Rear 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, 166/43/786