LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert John YOUNG
Service No: 428488
Born: Moonee Ponds VIC, 1 February 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 November 1942
Unit: No. 189 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Fulbeck
Died: Air Operations: (No. 189 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NG307), France, 3 February 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Hotton War Cemetery, Luxembourg, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert Martin Young and Cecilia Agnes Young, of Essendon, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Essendon VIC
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2202 hours on the night of 2 February 1945 Lancaster NG307 took off from Fulbeck detailed to bomb Karlsruhe, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. After passing through dense cloud, the aircraft fell out of control and crashed at near Jarny, France. Five of the crew members were killed and two baled out and were safe.
The crew members of NG307 were:
Pilot Officer A D Blencowe (191722) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator) Baled out, Safe
Sergeant George Elliott Brook (1593536) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Graham Edward Locke (183459) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant R Powell (541089) (RAF) (Rear Gunner) Baled out, Safe
Flight Sergeant William John Treadwell (1576216) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant John Chaplin Whyte (1571971) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Robert John Young (428488) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Powell later reported “I was Rear Gunner in NG307. We took off from base and proceeded on course at 4,000 feet in a fair amount of cloud. On reaching position C we commenced to climb to our bombing height of 16,000 feet. We were climbing steadily in thick cloud with no breaks being observed. On reaching 12,000 feet the port wing dipped violently and the aircraft fell away into a steep dive developing into a spin. The engines appeared to be going up till this time. The Pilot informed the crew that something was wrong, and presumably attempted to correct the first dive but without success. At about 8/9,000 feet I abandoned the aircraft with the rear turret still serviceable up to time of leaving. The aircraft was in a violent spin and completely out of control. When the aircraft crashed the bombs exploded and wreckage was scattered over a wide area.”
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, 166/45/93