LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Ronald Eardley DOUCH
Service No: 412499
Born: Willoughby NSW, 14 June 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 19 July 1941
Unit: No. 15 Squadron, Madang, New Guinea
Died: Air Operations: (No. 15 Squadron Beaufort aircraft A9-518), New Guinea, 25 March 1945, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Lae War Cemetery, PNG
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Henry and Lillian Violet Douch, of Willoughby, New South Wales.
Roll of Honour: Willoughby NSW
Remembered: Panel 101, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Beaufort aircraft A9-518 went missing on operations from Madang over the Sepik area on 25 March 1945. Post War, the aircraft was found crashed in a mangrove swamp south of Mendam. The aircraft had exploded on impact and all five crew members had been killed.
The crew members of A9-518 were:
Lieutenant Colonel Alan Binnie (NX12184) (Australian Army) (HQ 2 Air Liaison Group)
Warrant Officer James Alexander Chapman (410544) (Observer)
Warrant Officer Ronald Eardley Douch (412499) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Keith Gillan (401749) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer William Walker Parker (415045) (Pilot)
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 A9845, 260
Bibliography:
Baker, N. (Nicola) More Than Little Heroes: Australian Army Air Liaison Officers in WWII, Australian National University Canberra ACT 2600, 1994
Wilson, S. (Stewart) Beaufort, Beaufighter and Mosquito in Australian Service, Aerospace Publications Weston Creek ACT 2611, 1990