LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Nicholas Auber Benjamin ROBINSON
Service No: 406795
Born: Cottesloe WA, 15 March 1912
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 March 1941
Unit: No. 115 Squadron (RAF), RAF East Wretham, Norfolk
Died: Air Operations (No. 115 Squadron Lancaster aircraft DS690), Belgium, 14 July 1943, Aged 31 Years
Buried: Les Hayons Churchyard, Bouillon, Luxembourg, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Auber Benjamin and Elizabeth Margaret Ivy Robinson, of Esperance, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Perth WA
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Lancaster DS690 took off from RAF East Wretham at 2359 hours on the night of 13/14th July 1943, detailed to bomb Aachen Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at 0210 hours at Les Hayons (Luxembourg), 5 kms north east of Bouillon, Belgium. Six of the crew were killed and Sergeant Odendaal became a Prisoner of War.
The crew members of DS690 were:
Squadron Leader The Honourable Robert Alexander G Baird (70789) (RAF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Harold Matthews (1318179) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer William James Moorcroft (127974) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant J E C Odendaal (777926) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Flight Sergeant Nicholas Auber Benjamin Robinson (406795) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Edwin Smith (RAF) (1330882) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Robert Alfred Walker (1235107) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
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 A9301, 406795
Bibliography:
Gaston, Bruce DFC (406646), Harry Horner DFC OAM (406595), Raymond Storer (406666) (Editors), Aircrew for the Duration: of and by members of RAAF EATS Courses 10, 11, 12 & 13, Gaston Horner and Storer, Nedlands WA, 1990