LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Robert Harvey Donald CALDER
Service No: 407358
Born: Adelaide SA, 11 January 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 September 1940
Unit: No. 83 Squadron (RAF), RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 83 Squadron Lancaster aircraft R5620), Germany, 26 June 1942, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Sage War Cemetery, Oldenburg, Niedersachsen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert Hocking Roy Calder and Violet Gladys Calder, of Broken Hill New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Broken Hill NSW
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster R5620 took off from RAF Scampton at 2348 hours on the night of 25/26th June 1942, detailed to bomb Bremen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed near Kirchseelte, Germany, which is 18 kms south west of Bremen, and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of R5620 were:
Sergeant Percy Warren Barrett (1254387) (RAFVR) (Observer)
Sergeant Robert Harvey Donald Calder (407358) (Second Wireless Operator)
Sergeant Edward Corns (553453) (RAF) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer James Ralph Farrow (403119) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Arthur Joseph Neil DFM (632245) (RAF) (First Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Arnold Bailey Norman (548174) (RAF) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Frank Charles Pearman (574729) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
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, 163/95/312