LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Ronald Frank CROSS
Service No: 437401
Born: Mt Gambier SA, 29 May 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 30 January 1943
Unit: No. 467 Squadron, RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 467 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM100), France, 2 February 1945, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Clichy Northern Cemetery, Hauts-de-Seine, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Whynam Robert and Daisy Cross, of Semaphore, South Australia.
Roll of Honour: Strathalbyn SA
Remembered: Panel 110, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
No. 5 Group’s first contribution to the new campaign against enemy communications was a raid on 1st-2nd February by 271 Lancasters against the town and marshalling yards at Siegen, another new target to the east of Cologne. … The following night at Karlsruhe No. 463 lost one crew and No. 467 two, in addition to three members ordered to bale out of a burning Lancaster (1) before the fire was extinguished and its captain was able to fly it safely back to base .
(1) No. 467 Squadron Lancaster PD 231 (Flying Officer Keith Roy Swain DFC (427485) (Pilot))
Extract from Herington, J. (John) (406545) Air War Over Europe 1944-1945, Australian War Memorial, Canberra, 1963 – Page 412
Lancaster LM100 took off from RAF Waddington at 2006 hours on the night of 2/3rd February 1945 to bomb Karlsruhe, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Nineteen aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and two of these including LM 100 failed to return.
The crew members of LM100 were:
Flight Sergeant Ronald Frank Cross (437401) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Burton Hampton Elliot (427234) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Leslie Ginno (1235994) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant John Christie Jarrett (433551) (Bomb Aimer) Blown clear, PoW: Discharged from the RAAF: 13 September 1945
Flight Sergeant Kenneth John King (436330) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant William Thomas Paine (424676) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Alton Neil Goulburn Robinson (422885) (Pilot)
In the Squadron Operations Record Book Flight Sergeant Jarrett reported “Target not reached. Aircraft crashed in France. Position 4940N 00430E at 2245 hours on outward journey. I was only survivor. Until the neighbourhood of the crash there was nothing unusual about the aircraft performance. At approx 2230 hours the starboard inner was gone. Captain to Flight Engineer ‘feather it’. Engineer acknowledged and I could see him come forward to the Navs table to carry out the instruction. I presume the Engineer pushed the button of the starboard inner then I heard him say ‘the four engines are feathering’. Pilot ordered prepare to abandon. Pilot called the WOP and instructed him to switch over the cross balance cocks. Acknowledged and reported he had switched over. At same time Engineer back at his instrument panel and change over tanks. Pilot then said ‘its no good don’t waste any time, abandon aircraft’ No guidance from instruments re. height. At time of engine failure we were below the base of cloud. I put on chute and removed forward escape hatch on order abandon. Heard Rear Gunner say going. I then reported going, removed helmet and baled out. Did not hear anything further or observe anything behind me. Chute opened landed in ploughed field. I saw a flash and heard noise of aircraft blowing up about quarter of a mile away on other side of rising ground. It crashed near the spot where other members of the crew had landed. I presume it was the explosion that killed them but need confirmation.”
No. 463 Squadron lost Lancaster ME 290 (Flying Officer Richard Kay Oliver (429124) (Pilot)) on 2 February 1945.
No. 467 Squadron lost Lancaster PB 306 (Flying Officer James Magnus Inkster (432191) (Second Pilot)) on 2 February 1945.
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, 166/8/850