LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Robert Burns DOUGLAS
Service No: 409389
Born: Bairnsdale VIC, 1 February 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 15 August 1941
Unit: No. 73 Operational Training Unit (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 73 Operational Training Unit Tomahawk aircraft AH956), Egypt, 24 April 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Moascar War Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Malcolm Campbell Douglas and Grace Douglas, of Bairnsdale, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Bairnsdale VIC
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 24 April 1943, Tomahawk AH956 took off on a non-operational day training flight and crashed at 1215 hours killing the pilot. AH956 was flying as a member of a formation detailed to make an oxygen climb to 25,000 feet. This duty was carried out and the formation then came down to 15,000 feet, where they broke up. After the break up, AH956 was seen carrying out two successive loops. After the second loop, the aircraft came down very steeply towards the earth and fire broke out in the engine. After hitting the ground the aircraft exploded.
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, 166/10/51