LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Ronald Stanley LAING
Service No: 420964
Born: Gulgong NSW, 3 March 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 6 December 1941
Unit: No. 37 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 37 Squadron Wellington aircraft RZ4750, Italy, 18 January 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Bari War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Robert and Mary Laing, of Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Katoomba NSW
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the night of 18 January 1944 Wellington RZ475 was detailed to bomb the marshalling yards at Pontassieve, Italy. The aircraft took off at 1730 hours but failed to return to base. The crashed aircraft was located approximately 5 miles south south-west of Melfi, Luciana. It had crashed into the southwest face of Monte Vulture at approximately 2300 hours and the crew of 6 had been killed.
The crew members of RZ475 were:
Sergeant William Albert Didluck (1601192) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant John Thomas Hood (1033056) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant Ronald Stanley Laing (420964) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Robert Charles McGillivray (1392304) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Arthur James McCandlish Millichip (1454045) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant John Alexander William Scott (657999) (RAF) (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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/24/265