LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Alexander Craven CAMPBELL
Service No: 407890
Born: Adelaide SA, 21 June 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 3 February 1941
Unit: No. 76 Squadron (RAF), RAF Middleton St George, Durham
Died: Air Operations (No. 76 Squadron Halifax aircraft R9365), France, 17 September 1942, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Longuenesse (St Omer) Souvenir Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Richard and Mary Bertha Campbell, of Adelaide, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Adelaide SA
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Halifax R9365 took off from RAF Middleton St George at 2035 hours on the night of 16/17th September 1942, detailed to bomb Essen Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. R9365 was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at 0036 hours on 17th September 1942 at Rubrouck (Nord), 14 kms north west of Hazebrouck, France. All the crew members were killed
The crew members of R9365 were:
Flying Officer Alexander Craven Campbell (407890) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant William Norman Geddie (968122) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Alan Moffat (755366) (RAF) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Jack Ralph Runnicles (1309498) (RAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Malcolm John Standley (407303) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Stanley George White (1285421) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Samuel Arundall Witchell (1194265) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
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, 163/25/156
Bibliography:
Chorley W R, To See the Dawn Breaking: 76 Squadron Operations, W R Chorley Devon UK, 1981