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Marchant, Robert Cresswell

Grave number 48
Rank Flight Sgt. W. Op./Air Gunner Nr.R/92040 R.C.A.F.
Squadron  
Date of birth / age January 24, 1919
Reported missing June 26, 1942
Aircraft type Wellington IC, T-2773 (OTU)
Washed ashore June 26, 1942
Buried June 27, 1942, 6.30 p.m.
Father Herbert Marchant
Mother Nellie Marchant
Partner  
Place of residence Shalalth, British Columbia, Canada
   
Details

The Wellington T2723 took off at 10:41 p.m. on the night of June 25/26, 1942 from Lossiemouth on a mission to attack Bremen, Germany.
In the air the aircraft was damaged by the night fighter pilots Leutnant Hans-Georg Bötel (6./NJG 2) & Oberleutnant Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weissenfeld.
Then they were fired upon by the 5./Marine-Flak-Abteilung 246 Flak battery on West-Terschelling.
They crashed on June 26, 1942 near post 14.8.

The other crew members of the T2723 were:
Sgt William Alan Carruthers R/1063043 RAF (grave 46)
Sgt Robert George Ashley Brathwaite 403312 RAAF (grave 47)
Sgt George C Thomson R/91859 RCAF POW Stalag 344
Sgt Norman William Levasseur R/83181 RCAF POW Stalag 8B

In later prisoner of war reports, Sergeant Levasseur stated: "Sergeant Brathwaite was killed as a result of an attack on their aircraft by a German fighter."
Sergeant Thompson stated that he believes Sergeant Brathwaite was killed, but the only information to confirm this was received by him from a German officer while he was in the hospital in Amsterdam.
He also stated that the aircraft was attacked by a night fighter, the intercom was destroyed.
"As Rear Gunner I was cut off from the rest of the crew and the aircraft was set on fire.
With the intercom unusable I can only give information from German authorities."

                    

                    


HE FOUGHT AND DIED SO THAT OTHERS MIGHT LIVE IN PEACE WITH FREEDOM