Colin Hillier MARTIN

Colin Hillier MARTIN Update Details

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MARTIN, Colin Hillier

Service Number:	417392
Enlisted:	25 April 1942
Last Rank:	Flight Sergeant
Last Unit:	No. 463 Squadron (RAAF)
Born:	Yorketown, South Australia, 9 December 1923
Home Town:	Stansbury, Yorke Peninsula, South Australia
Schooling:	Not yet discovered
Occupation:	Truck driver
Died:	Flying Battle, Germany, 25 February 1944, aged 20 years
Cemetery:	Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany Durnbach War Cemetery, Bavaria, Germany
Memorials:	Adelaide WW2 Wall of Remembrance, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial, Stansbury Memorial Gates, Stansbury War Memorial

World War 2 Service

25 Apr 1942:	Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 417392, Adelaide, South Australia
25 Apr 1942:	Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 417392
25 Feb 1944:	Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 417392, No. 463 Squadron (RAAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45
Date unknown:	Involvement

Lancaster LM444 Colin Hillier Martin

463 SQUADRON RAAF
Date of Death: 25 February 1944.
Source: AWM 64 1/342 (1) AWM 237 (63) (64) AWM54 779/3/129 Part 3.
NAA : A705, 166/27/363. W R Chorley : RAF Bomber Command Losses of the
Second World War, Page 101, Volume 1944.
Aircraft Type: Lancaster
Serial number: LM 444
Radio call sign: JO – D
Unit: 463 Sqn RAAF
Summary:
Lancaster LM444 took off from RAF Waddington at 2026 hours on the night 24/25th February 1944 to bomb Schweinfurt, Germany. Bomb load 1 x 4000lb bomb, 80 x 30lb, 750 x 4lb incendiaries. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Seventeen aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and two of these including LM444 failed to return.
Crew:
RAAF 413219 Flt Lt Martin, C J Captain (Pilot)
RAAF 400246 FO White, D (Navigator)
RAAF 413388 FO Jacombs, R M N (Bomb Aimer)
RAF Sgt F J Pearson (Wireless Operator Air Gunner)
RAF Sgt P Wynde, (Flight Engineer)
RAF Sgt J T Hollow, (Air Gunner)
RAAF 417392 Flt Sgt C H Martin (Air Gunner)
Post war it was established that the aircraft was hit by enemy fire over the target area at 20,000 feet. The abandon order was given immediately but before any one could move the aircraft rolled over on its back and disintegrated. Six of the crew were killed and FO White became a POW. Those killed are buried in the Durnbach War Cemetery. Durnbach is a village 16 miles east of Bad Tolz, a town 48kms south of Munich. In a 1945 statement the then Flt Lt White reported “Just after the bombardier reported photo taken, the pilot ordered bale out. There was no time to acknowledge and immediately after the aircraft turned on its back. I had time to half attach my chute which was close by then I apparently became unconscious and the next I knew I was in the air. The height at which we were hit was 20,000 feet. The aircraft was out of control and on fire. It crashed 10 miles north west of Scheinfurt. As far as I know no others got out. The
Germans advised me that the rest of the crew were killed. I believe the aircraft blew up and the others were killed. I was seized by civilian police when looking for a barn to sleep in and taken to local police station about 4.30am on 28/2/44. Released by British near Lubeck 2/5/45.”
In RAAF Casualty file 166/27/363 held by Archives it is recorded that the aircraft
exploded in the air and crashed near Edelshohe, which is 5 miles north west of
Schweinfurt. Colin Hillier Martin aged 20 is buried Grave 5-B-1 Durbach War Cemetery Germany. RIP Lest we Forget.

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