LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Gordon Arthur ARMSTRONG
Service No: 423597
Born: Warrawee NSW, 23 July 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 July 1942
Unit: No. 77 Squadron (RAF), RAF Full Sutton, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 77 Squadron Halifax aircraft NA508), Germany, 17 June 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Wentworth Arthur and Gladys May Armstrong, of Gordon, New South Wales, Australia.
Roll of Honour: Gordon NSW
Remembered: Panel 259, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 118, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Gordon Public Schools Rolls of Honour, Gordon NSW
Halifax NA508 took off from RAF Full Sutton, Yorkshire at 2315 hours on the night of 16/17th June1944, detailed to bomb Sterkrade, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. A 1947 report by a Missing Research & Enquiry team stated “the Communal Police at Neuwer-Amstel reported that the aircraft crashed in flames at Neuwer-Amstel on the night of 16/17 June 1944. German documents confirmed that only one body was recovered that of Warrant Officer O’Meara.”
The crew members of NA508 were:
Flight Sergeant Gordon Arthur Armstrong (423597) (Air Bomber)
Pilot Officer Robert Alexander Walton Blair (415498) (Pilot)
Flying Officer John Matthew Date (427807) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Herbert Louis Moore (1399452) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Warrant Officer John Patrick O’Meara (410370) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Lancelot George Pratt (425210) (Observer)
Sergeant Dennis George Tustin (1582404) (RAFVR) (Tail Gunner)
Seven aircraft from the Squadron failed to return from the mission. Other RAAF members were lost on 17 June 1944 in Halifax MZ715 (Pilot Officer Alan Irvine Crain (415308) (Pilot)) and Halifax NA545 (Pilot Officer Harold William Bird (417330) (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, 166/4/38
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line