LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Richard York FRENCH
Service No: 424752
Born: Bondi Junction NSW, 1 June 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 138 Squadron (RAF), RAF Tempsford, Bedfordshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 138 Squadron Stirling aircraft LK279), Denmark, 10 February 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Fredericia Northern Cemetery Churchyard, Denmark
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Oscar Robert and Annie Louise Rhoda French, of Bondi Junction, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Bondi NSW
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2114 hours on the night of 9 February 1945 Stirling LK279 of No. 138 Squadron took off from RAF Tempsford, to carry out Operation Tablejam 190 along with other aircraft of the Squadron and the formation set course for Denmark. Nothing was heard from Stirling LK279 after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed in a blizzard over Gamborg Fiord east of Sonderskov and south of Faend Island. All of the crew members were killed.
The crew members of LK 279 were:
Warrant Officer Ronald James Ball (1321859) (RAF) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant William John Carthew (1853102) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Richard York French (424752) (Wireless Operator)
Sergeant William Maurice Haragan (3000040) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Gordon Ernest Mercer (154929) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Geoffrey Chapman Toes (1683242) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Lawrence Stanley Tucker (417766) (Pilot)
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, 166/14/355