LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert Douglas ARMOUR
Service No: 405168
Born: Brisbane QLD, 27 June 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 2 February 1941
Unit: No. 458 Squadron, RAF Station Luqa, Malta
Died: Air Operations: (No. 458 Squadron Wellington aircraft LB169), Western Sicily, 30 April 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Catania War Cemetery, Catania, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Ralph Langlands Armour and Caroline Hooper Armour, of Clayfield, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 106, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wellington LB169 took off from RAF Luqa at 2018 hours on the night of 29/30 April 1943 to carry out a shipping search off western Sicily. At 0223 hours a weather report was received at base from the aircraft. Nothing further was heard from the aircraft and it failed to return from the mission. All the crew members lost their lives. The remains of Flight Sergeant Armour was found on the beach of Mangiove Di Patti, Messina.
The crew members of LB169 were
Flight Sergeant Robert Douglas Armour (405168) (Rear Gunner)
Warrant Officer Class II Gordon John Banks (R/84883) (RCAF) (Special Equipment/Operator (Radar))
Warrant Class II George Alexander Duncan Cameron (R/111309) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Warrant Officer Class II Joseph Robert Grasley (R/86323) (RCAF) (Wireless Operator)
Warrant Officer Class II Norman Albert Stelter (R/105554) (RCAF) (Second Pilot)
Warrant Officer Class II Robert Morris Westman (R/101306) (RCAF) (Pilot)
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, 166/4/2
Bibliography:
Alexander, P. (Peter) We Find and Destroy: history of No. 458 Squadron, The 458 Squadron Council, 1959