LEST WE FORGET
Sergeant Frederick Roy MARTIN
Service No: 403479
Born: Sydney NSW, 24 September 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 1 February 1941
Unit: No. 460 Squadron, RAF Station Breighton, Yorkshire
Died: Air Operations: (No. 460 Squadron Wellington aircraft Z1383), France, 22 June 1942, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Lorient (Kerentrech) Communal Cemetery, Morbihan, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick and Elsie Vera Martin; husband of Mona Jane Martin, of Claremont, Western Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 108, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Wellington Z1383 took off from RAF Breighton at 2247 hours on the night of 21 June 1942 to carry out a mine laying operation in French waters off Lorient. The bomb load was Assembly 1PDM7, Assembly 22, and 2 x 250 GPTD. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Four aircraft from the squadron took part in the mission. Post war it was established that all the crew members had been killed.
The crew members of Z1383 were:
Flight Sergeant Robert John Buckingham (400578) (Pilot)
Sergeant Frederick Roy Martin (403479) (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
Sergeant William Stalker McQueen (403277) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant James Moores (798533) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Robert George Marafu Roget (400333) (Observer)
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, 163/142/386
Bibliography:
Firkins, P. C. (Peter Charles) (441386) Strike and Return, Westward Ho Publishing City Beach WA, 1985
Ilbery, P.L.T. (Peter Leslie Thomas) (422957) Hatching an Air Force: 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga, Banner Books Maryborough QLD 4650, 2002