LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert Glenie PARKER
Service No: 423867
Born: Coffs Harbour NSW, 10 November 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 July 1942
Unit: No. 222 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Aircraft Accident (No. 222 Squadron Spitfire aircraft MK511), Netherlands, 1 December 1944, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Bergen-op-Zoom War Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Arthur Lionel and Annie Parker, of Coffs Harbour Jetty, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Coffs Harbour NSW
Remembered: Panel 128, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On 1 December 1944Spitfire MK511 was detailed to carry out non-operational daytime practice flying. The aircraft crashed on Tholan Island, Holland and Flight Sergeant Parker was killed carrying out a dive bombing practice. Eye witnesses stated that the aircraft disintegrated in mid air, the main plane first coming apart from the fuselage, with much of the wreckage scattered over a one mile radius.
A Court of Inquiry into the accident reported: “a Section of three aircraft with Parker as No. 3 were in line astern formation and proceeded to carry out a dive bombing attack practice on Tholen village. Nos. 1 and No 2 commenced to pull out of their dive at approximately 6,000 feet, but No. 3 continued on the dive which was at an angle of 60 degrees and commenced a steep turn to port. At a height of probably well below 2,000 feet, the main plane broke away and the tail, fuselage and engine crashed to the ground. “
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, 166/32/582