LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Kelvin George MUNRO
Service No: 7122
Born: Perth WA, 11 November 1914
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 November 1939
Unit: No. 35 Squadron (RAF), RAF Graveley, Cambridgeshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 35 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ME361), Germany, 7 March 1945, Aged 30 Years
Buried: Hamburg Cemetery, Hamburg, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Colin Andrew Alexander Munro and Ruby Maude Munro; husband of Thelma Ivy Munro, of Victoria Park. Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Victoria Park WA
Remembered: Panel 127, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
Remembered: Boans Employees’ World War II Honour Roll (Honour Board held at the RAAFA Museum Bull Creek WA)
Remembered: Honour Avenues, Kings Park WA
Lancaster ME361 took off from RAF Graveley at 1853 hours on the night of 7/8th March 1945 as Master Bomber for the raid on the Deutsche Erdoel oil refinery at Hemmingstedt, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was shot down at 2200 hours by a night fighter in the target area and all the crew were killed.
The crew members of ME361 were:
Flying Officer James Martin Aylieff DFC (177980) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Flying Officer Reginald Clifford Chapman (122930) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Squadron Leader Daniel Bulmer Everett DFC & 2 Bars (155223) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Lieutenant Charles G Mitchell DFC (J/20407) (RCAF) (Bomb Aimer)
Pilot Officer Kelvin George Munro (7122) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Albert Henry John Pidgeon (171882) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Clifford Owen Russell DFC (138894) (RAFVR) (Second Bomb Aimer)
Flying Officer Reginald Martin Weller DFC (155190) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper 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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/28/548