LEST WE FORGET
Warrant Officer Douglas ROGERS
Service No: 416722
Born: Edmonton, England, 11 November 1919
Enlisted in the RAAF: 16 August 1941 (at Adelaide SA)
Unit: No. 180 Squadron (RAF), RAF Dunsfold, Surrey
Died: Air Operations (No. 180 Squadron Mitchell aircraft FL218), Kent, 25 January 1944, Aged 24 Years
Buried: Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Edward Joseph and Josephine Ellen Howard Rogers, of Plympton, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Adelaide SA
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Mitchell FL218 took off from RAF Dunsfold on January 1944, detailed to take part in an attack on Zudausques. Heavy anti-aircraft fire was encountered over the target area and FL 218 was hit. The aircraft was seen with the starboard engine smoking badly near North Foreland at about 8,000 feet at approximately 1010 hours, but the pilot was able to get the aircraft back to within one mile of Hawkinge and then found he was unable to make a safe landing, so he ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft. It appears that he was preparing to abandon the aircraft, but it went out of control before he could bale out. It crashed about 2 kms north north west of Hawkinge about 1015 hours.
The crew members of FL218 were:
Sergeant J Baker (1217344) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) Uninjured
Sergeant W Hemmingway (1437563) (RAF) (Navigator Bomb Aimer) Shock
Warrant Officer Douglas Rogers (416722) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant W Mackenzie (R/184997) (RCAF) (Air Gunner) Knee injury
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, 166/36/188