LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert Walter Wetherall FRANKISH
Service No: 415130
Born: Maylands WA, 15 April 1916
Enlisted in the RAAF: 21 July 1941
Unit: No. 1658 Conversion Unit (RAF), RAF Riccall, Yorkshire
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 1658 Conversion Unit Halifax aircraft JB905), Yorkshire, 18 September 1943, Aged 27 Years
Buried: Harrogate (Stonefall) Cemetery, Yorkshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert Wetherall Frankish and Nora Frankish, of West Northam, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Northam WA
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Remembered: Honour Avenues, Kings Park WA
On 18 September 1943, Halifax JB905 took off from RAF Riccall, detailed for a night training sortie. While cruising at 17,000 feet, the starboard engine caught fire. Partially abandoned, the aircraft crashed at 2355 hours at Mount Pleasant Farm, Armthorpe, some four miles north east of Doncaster and not far from Finningley airfield. Three of the crew were killed and two were injured.
The crew members of JB905 were:
Sergeant J H Bulmer (RAF) (Navigator) Injured
Flight Sergeant Robert Walter Wetherall Frankish (415130) (Pilot)
Sergeant Cyril James Ringer (1320553) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant A C Skinner (1254668) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) Injured
Sergeant Albert James Taylor (1385739) (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, 166/14/98