LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Bruce Stanley RICHMOND
Service No: 426915
Born: Rockhampton QLD, 23 July 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 15 August 1942
Unit: No. 432 Squadron (RCAF), RAF Station East Moor
Died: Air Operations: (No. 432 Squadron Halifax aircraft NZ506), France, 23 May 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Le Mans West Cemetery, Sarthe, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of John and Constance Marie Richmond, of Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Rockhampton QLD
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0010 hours on the night of 22/23rd May 1944, Halifax NZ506 took off from East Moor detailed to attack the marshalling yards at Le Mans, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was hit by flak and crashed south of the Le Mans airfield. All the crew members were killed
The crew members of NZ506 were:
Pilot Officer Eric Patrick Boutilier (J/88414) (RCAF) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Wallace Watson Crum (J/90054) (RCAF) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Joseph Eugene Gerard Desmarais (J/88152) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant Edward Derek Horton (1851892) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer Stephen Kuleski (J/87624) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Walter Henry Matthews (J/25198) (RCAF) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Bruce Stanley Richmond (426915) (Navigator Bomb Aimer)
Pilot Officer Michael Wiwsianski (J/90949) (RCAF) (Air 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 Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/35/273