Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Flight Sergeant Robert Hollingworth was the son of William and Maude Hollingworth of Bowen Hills, Queensland. A bank clerk before enlisting he was born in May 1923. (RAAF records not digitized)

Robert left the Brisbane Boy's College, where he had spent two and a half years, in June 1939, after securing the previous year and excelletn pass in the Junior Public Examination.  He then joined the staff of the Commonwealth Bank, but early in the war decided to joint the R.A.A.F.   He passed through the preliminary course of training in Australia, and after gaining his 'wings' was posted to England, where he undertook the advanced phases of training.  He was undertaking the final stage of Conversion Training with 1663 Heavy Conversion Unit when he was attached to No.77 Squadron (Halifax) to fly as 'second dickie' or second pilot in a familiarisation flight before joining the squadron with his own crew.  On the night of the 3rd December 1943, he took part in an air raid on Leipsig, in Southern Germany, from which he failed to return.   He was posted as missing and later belived killed.  A similar tragic fate befell his elder brother, who lost his life on an operational flight over Germany in January 1942.  We cannot but feel very deeply for those who have been thus doubly bereaved.

Halifax DT730 left RAF Elvington just before midnight on the night of 3/4December 1943 to bomb Leipzig in Germany. Robert Hollingworth was the only Australian on board and he was attached from 1663 Conversion Unit.

CREW:RAF Pilot Officer R J Caseley -Pilot RAAF Flight Sergeant R M Hollingworth -2nd Pilot RAFSergeant F E Ryder -Flight Engineer RAFFlight Sergeant C R Boyd -Navigator RAF Flight Sergeant W J H Webb -Air BomberRAF Pilot Officer J Miller -Wireless Air Gunner RCAF Warrant Officer W R Farrell -Mid Upper Gunner RCAF Flight Sergeant K R Lees -Rear Gunner

A Missing Research and Enquiry team report in 1946 “the aircraft crashed on the night of 3 December 1943 near Cloppenburg, seven of the crew were killed and Flight Sergeant Lees became a POW”. All those killed are buried in the Becklingen War Cemetery, Germany. Flight Sergeant Lees later reported: “the aircraft exploded unexpectedly in mid air. It was shot down between Oldenburg and Cloppenburg near Bremen. As far as I know none of the others baled out before the explosion, and the Germans told me that all the others were killed”.

Robert is buried in the Becklingen War Cemetery Collective Grave 9, E1-3. Robert’s brother, Sergeant Pilot Alexander Hollingworth,102 Squadron RAF, was killed in action during an operational flight over Cherbourg 6 January 1942 and is buried in the Doncaster (Rosehill) Cemetery in Yorkshire, England.

Flight Sergeant Hollingworth is remembered with honour at the Australian War Memorial and on the Roll of Honour Brisbane.