LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Roland Maxwell MARSHALL
Service No: 423818
Born: Waverley NSW, 21 November 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 July 1942
Unit: No. 166 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Kirmington
Died: Air Operations: (No. 166 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM126), France, 8 June 1944, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Clichy Northern Cemetery, Hauts-de-Seine, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Roland Stuart Marshall and Frances May Marshall, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Epping NSW
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster LM126 took off from RAF Kirmington at 0019 hours on the night of 7/8 June1944. It was one of twenty aircraft from the Squadron detailed to bomb railway facilities at Versailles, France. In view of the weather conditions the aircraft attacked from a low level and considerable opposition from light flak was encountered. Enemy aircraft were also active. Nothing was heard from LM126 after take off and it failed to return to base. LM126 was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Bois-d’Arcy (Yvelines), a small community 2kms west of St Cyr L’Ecole and all the crew members were killed.
The crew members of LM126 were:
Flight Sergeant Alan Banham (1357410) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Joseph Fulton (1079160) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Cyril Richard Hanson (172950) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant George Edward King (1602002) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Pilot Officer Roland Maxwell Marshall (423818) (Navigator)
Sergeant Leslie Ratcliff (1801563) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant Leslie James Robey (1324986) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
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, 166/27/457