LEST WE FORGET
Flight Lieutenant Roger Joseph BLANCHARD
Service No: 260776
Born: Sydney NSW, 22 March 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 4 March 1940
Unit: No. 13 Squadron, Hughes NT
Died: Air Operations (No. 13 Squadron Hudson aircraft A16-182), Timor area, 23 April 1942, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Joseph and Violet Blanchard, of Lindfield, New South Wales; husband of Margaret Winifred Blanchard, of Goulburn, New South Wales
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 6, Northern Territory Memorial, Adelaide River NT
Remembered: Panel 100, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Harden-Murrumburrah War Memorial Wall, Harden NSW
On 23 April 1942, Hudson A16-182 went missing on operations between Darwin and Koepang. The crew members were:
Flight Lieutenant Roger Joseph Blanchard (260776) (Pilot)
Sergeant Oberlin Benjamin Plester Gray (408225) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant David Jacobs (411328) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant David Vynne Woods (416294) (Wireless Air Gunner)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records
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, 163/24/239
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Bennett, J. (John William) Highest Traditions: the history of No. 2 Squadron RAAF, Australian Government Publishing Service, 1995
Grantham, S. R. (Sidney Richard) (6590) The 13 Squadron Story, S.R. Grantham, Dee Why NSW 2099, 1991
Vincent, D. (David) The RAAF Hudson Story Book 1, D. Vincent Highbury SA 5089, 1989
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Anson, Hudson and Sunderland in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1992