LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert James BOAG
Service No: 432097
Born: Redfern NSW, 5 May 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 5 December 1942
Unit: No. 75 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Mepal
Died: Air Operations (No. 75 Squadron Lancaster aircraft NF980), Germany, 30 November 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Boag, of Arncliffe, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1058 hours on 30 November 1944 Lancaster NF980 took off from Mepal detailed to bomb the benzol producing plant and railway station at Osterfeld, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire over the target and crashed 2kms south of the Bahnhof at Osterfeld. Six of the crew members were killed and one was fatally injured.
The crew members of NF980 were:
Flight Sergeant Robert James Boag (432097) (Wireless Operator Air)
Sergeant Cyril Brewer (1418695) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Edward Roy Cooper (1387554) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner) PoW, Fatally injured, Died: 28 December 1944
Flying Officer James Alexander McIntosh (411915) (RNZAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Robert Cashampton Morgan (421389) (RNZAF) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Ronald Wynne Newman (421096) (RNZAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Richard Thomas Taylor (1401963) (RAFVR) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/6/826