LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert Hugh CAMPBELL
Service No: 420335
Born: Drummoyne NSW, 16 April 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941
Unit: No. 102 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Pocklington
Died: Air Operations (No. 102 Squadron Halifax aircraft HX158), North Sea, 12 November 1943, Aged 25 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Thomas and Eliza Ann Campbell, of Drummoyne, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Drummoyne NSW
Remembered: Panel 192, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Drummoyne War Memorial, Drummoyne NSW
At 1754 hours on 11 November 1943 Halifax HX158 took off from Pocklington to carry out a gardening (mine-laying) operation off the Frisian Islands. At 2110 hours information from No 4 Group that an aircraft with call sign MO1 had sent an SOS at 2023 hours. This was picked up by Hull MF/DF station and a bearing of 092 degrees obtained. No further messages were obtained from the aircraft. HX158 had a call sign of MOS not MO1 and it was considered that this may have been an error in sending or in receiving the message. HX158 did not return from the mission, but the crew of another Halifax from No. 10 Squadron (RAF) reported that they had seen an aircraft on fire and glide down and ditch at approx 2025 hours in position 53.04N 0441E after it had been hit by flak at a height of between 4/5,000 feet. It could not however be established that this was HX158. In 1949 it was recorded that the missing crew had lost their lives at sea.
The crew members of HX158 were:
Sergeant John Critchley Arrowsmith (1514783) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Robert Hugh Campbell (420335) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Leonard Douglas Dingley (J/224800 (RCAF) (Navigator)
Sergeant Arthur George Dyson (1338865) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Clifford Healey (1314164) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant Frederick Thrall (1515965) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Leslie George Yorke (1582011) (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, 166/7/246
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line