LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Robert Frederick Arding DOWNES
Service No: 402660
Born: Camden NSW, 28 August 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 September 1940
Unit: No. 1 Middle East Training School (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1 Middle East Training School Hurricane aircraft Z4031), Egypt, 7 October 1942, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Moascar War Cemetery, Egypt
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Rupert Frederick Arding Downes and Katie May Elizabeth Coghill Downes, of Camden, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Camden NSW
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Macarthur Park – Stone Arched Gateway, Camden NSW
On a non-operational flight on 7 October 1942, Hurricane Z4031 crashed at 1415 hours four miles north west of El Ballah aerodrome and Sergeant Downes was killed. According to a Pilot flying in the same formation, Downes pointed to his instrument panel, then tried to land on a piece of flat sand. The engine was giving off black smoke turning to white smoke, and the starboard under carriage was lowered. The aircraft capsized on landing.
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, 163/103/257
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line
Bibliography:
Winter, V.A. (Vincent Adams) (408547) Noble Six Hundred: the story of the Empire Air Training Scheme with special reference to Australians who trained in Southern Rhodesia, V.A. Winter Brighton VIC 3186