LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Ronald John DRAFFIN
Service No: 427450
Born: Carnarvon WA, 16 September 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 July 1942
Unit: No. 640 Squadron (RAF), RAF Leconfield, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 640 Squadron Halifax aircraft MZ510), Germany, 25 March 1944, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of David John and Mary Eliza Draffin; husband of Irene Grace Draffin, of Maylands, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Perth WA
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
On the night of the 24 March 1944, Halifax MZ510 took off from RAF Leconfield at 1922 hours, detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Dinslaken – six of the crew were killed and Flying Officer Bunster became a Prisoner of War.
The crew members of MZ510 were:
Flight Sergeant Alfred Ayres (922274) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flying Officer A H Bunster (151985) (RAF) (Air Bomber) PoW
Flight Sergeant Ronald John Draffin (427450) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Richard Hodgson (135647) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Pilot Officer Frederick George Hursey (54585) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Stanley Ernest Rayner (1394183) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Ronald Clive Thorpe (1336659) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
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, 166/10/201