LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Robert Tasman POUND
Service No: 408517
Born: Melbourne VIC, 14 November 1918
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 April 1941
Unit: No. 18 Squadron (RAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 18 Squadron Boston aircraft W8327), Italy, 13 October 1943, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Moro River Canadian War Cemetery, Italy
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James Robert and Clarice Irene Pound, of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1945 hours on 13 October 1943 Boston W8327 took off to carry out a reconnaissance flight of the road between Rome and the battle front. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base.
The crew members of W8327 were:
Sergeant W H Adams (944849) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner) Rescued
Sergeant Donald Nicholas Carter (1330255) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Edward William Petie Coates (752036) (RAFVR) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Flight Sergeant Robert Tasman Pound (408517) (Pilot)
A report by Captain N L Lucas, Headquarters 152 Infantry Brigade stated “on 15 October 1943 when passing through Campo Di Giovi near Sulmona, I heard from a local resident that a British plane had crashed on the top of a mountain a few miles back. I asked for a guide and arranged to go to the sight the next morning. I was told that one occupant had been saved and was being looked after in a hut. At 0400 hours on 16 October I left with a party to climb the mountain known locally as Fermina Morte and was part of the Monte Amaro roughly north east of Campo Di Giovi. It took four hours to reach the plane 500 feet from the top of the 7,000 feet mountain. The plane was a complete wreck as far as the gunner’s seat. Three bodies were found and buried. A diary also named Adams and it was assumed that Adams was the one who survived. On return to the Campo Di Giovi I tried to visit Adams but the Germans had surrounded the village and were doing a house search. I was told he was still safe the next day- he was fit enough to take to the mountains when the search started.”
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, 166/33/90