LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Raymond Thomas KERWIN
Service No: 426616
Born: Brisbane QLD, 30 June 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 July 1942
Unit: No. 207 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Spilsby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 207 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PD318), Netherlands, 23 September 1944, Aged 22 years
Buried: Apeldorn (Ugchelen-Heidenhof) General Cemetery, Gelderland, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John Joseph and Mary Elizabeth Kerwin, of Stafford, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1902 hours on the night of 23 September 1944 Lancaster PD318 took off from Spilsby detailed to attack the airfield at Munster-Handorf, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and failed to return to base. The aircraft was lost and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of PD318 were:
Sergeant Frederick Robert Wiliam Baker (1710506) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Francis Patrick Boyle (1750635) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Sergeant Kenneth William Clarke (1602946) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Albert Dennis Ghisletta (1612557) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Vernon Albert Hanmer (1803007) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Raymond Thomas Kerwin (426616) (Pilot)
Sergeant Ronald Newboult (1590064) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/22/326