LEST WE FORGET
Wing Commander Augustus Rodney GIBBES DFC
Service No: 267505 (also RAF Service No: 40048)
Born: Young NSW, 5 January 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: Date unavailable
Unit: No. 142 Squadron (RAF)
Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) (Awarded during RAF service)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 142 Squadron Wellington aircraft HE266), Central Mediterranean, 16 August 1943, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Augustus John Osborne Gibbes and Ann Gibbes; husband of Joan Mary Gibbes, of Northbridge, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 11, Column 1, Malta Memorial, Malta
Remembered: Panel 122, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wing Commander Gibbes was an Australian Cadet trained for the RAF who embarked for the UK on 17 July 1937. On the completion of his Short Service Commission in the RAF, he returned to RAAF service.
DFC Citation: On 20th May 1940, Flying Officer Gibbes pressed home his reconnaissance for targets in such a deliberate manner that he was heavily engaged by ack-ack fire from the ground and both front and rear gunners were wounded. He has a personal record of seven long sweeps, one night reconnaissance over Germany, and 18 bombing operations, including daylight attacks on Heligoland and Bergen, and a dawn and dusk attack on Stavanger. Throughout he has shown persistent determination and outstanding courage often in the face of extremely unpleasant conditions.
At 1931 hours on 16 August 1943 Wellington HE 266 took off detailed to attack the landing ground at Viterbo, Italy. No news of the aircraft or crew was received after take-off. The route proposed was: Base – Kalibia Corridor – Marittimo – Lake Bracciano – Target – Marittimo – Kalibia Corridor – return to Base.
The crew members of HE266 were:
Wing Commander Augustus Rodney Gibbes DFC (267505) (Pilot)
Sergeant William Arnot Ewart (1369852) (RAFVR) (Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant Nevile James Meen (1443704) (RAFVR) (Navigator/Bomb Aimer)
Sergeant James Charles Pratt (1389072) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Warrant Officer I Norman Gerhard Schultz (R/82766) (RCAF) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A 705, 166/15/96
Newton, Dennis A Few of the Few: Australians and the Battle of Britain, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT 2600, 1990