LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Cavan Beadon ROBINSON
Service No: 427484
Born: Perth WA, 5 January 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 July 1942
Unit: No. 576 Squadron (RAF), RAF Fiskerton, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 576 Squadron Lancaster aircraft RA516), Netherlands, 21 February 1945, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Eindhoven (Woensel) General Cemetery, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James and Mary Grace Robinson, of South Perth, Western Australia.
Roll of Honour: Perth WA
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA
On the 21 February 1945, Lancaster RA 516 took off from RAF Fiskerton at 1939 hours, detailed to bomb Duisburg, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft is believed to have crashed in the vicinity of Roermond (Limburg). The aircraft was returning from Duisberg which is had attacked successfully at 1108 hours. At about 1125 hours when in the vicinity of Weert, Holland, the aircraft received a direct hit under the port wing when at 18,000 feet. The Captain ordered the Flight Engineer to feather the port inner. The pilot gave the order to prepare to abandon, as both he and the Flight Engineer considered the starboard tanks may have been holed, although the aircraft was not seriously damaged. The aircraft then burst into flames aft of the trailing edge, and the whole tail was also on fire. Finding the aircraft uncontrollable the Captain gave the immediate order to bale out. Nothing was heard from the Navigator or Wireless Operator whom may have been killed by night fighters. The Captain asked if everyone was out and got no reply. He had great difficulty in getting out as the aircraft was spinning violently. He tripped over the under release handle and was thrown about in the aircraft and had his clothes torn. He injured his leg in the aircraft and not when landing. Three crew members were killed and four survived but were injured.
The crew members of RA516 were:
Sergeant C N Crouch (1880938) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner) Survived
Sergeant Leslie Hull (2221119) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Warrant Officer John Hill Lowing (422596) (Air Bomber) Survived, Discharged from the RAAF: 22 February 1946
Flight Sergeant Cavan Beadon Robinson (427484) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant C D Thieme (50521) (RAF) (Pilot) Survived
Flight Sergeant Henry William Vine (1604526) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant K Wallis (1892479) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) Survived
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, 166/36/480