Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Flight Lieutenant Kimberley ROBERTS DFC

Service No: 415358

Born: Bunbury, 11 November 1922

Enlisted in the RAAF: 14 September 1941

Unit: No. 619 Squadron (RAF), RAF Dunholme Lodge, Lincolnshire

Awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC), 11 April 1944 (Citation Title: No. 619 Squadron RAF)

Died: Air Operations (No. 619 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LL83), France, 7 June 1944, Aged 21 Years

Buried: Unrecovered

CWGC Additional Information: Son of Frederick William and Ethel Marion Roberts, of Bunbury, Western Australia.

Roll of Honour: Bunbury WA

Remembered: Panel 256, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK

Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

Remembered: Cenotaph Undercroft, State War Memorial, Kings Park WA

DFC Citation: Pilot Officer Roberts of 619 Squadron was pilot of an aircraft detailed to attack Stuttgart one night in March 1944. While over the target area, the rear gunner Flight Sergeant King (RAAF), reported an enemy aircraft closing in to attack. Pilot Officer Roberts took the necessary evading action but the bomber was hit by the enemy’s bullets and sustained damage. Even so he

cleverly manoeuvred to a position from which the rear gunner was able to engage the enemy. Following a well burst of fire from his guns, the enemy aircraft was seen to dive towards the ground, out of control and with its engines on fire. Pilot Officer Roberts then completed his bombing run and afterwards flew the damaged aircraft to base. This officer displayed commendable skill, courage and devotion to duty. The rear gunner at the time was also awarded a DFM.

Lancaster LL783 took off from RAF Station Dunholme Lodge at 0055 hours on 7 June 1944 to attack Caen, France, and failed to return to base. Following post war enquiries and investigations, it was learned that LL783 had been shot down in the target area and five crew members had been killed and two became Prisoners of War.

The crew members of LL783 were:

Sergeant W H Deviell (1384588) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber) PoW

Sergeant J F J Forrest (1583098) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW

Pilot Officer John Ernest Lott (178572) (RAF) (Navigator)

Flight Lieutenant Kimberley Roberts DFC (415358) (Pilot)

Flight Sergeant John Henry Tucker (1321777) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)

Flight Sergeant Leslie Edward Williams (1627306) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)

Flying Officer Guy Herbert Wyand (146076) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)

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, 166/36/200

SOURCE: https://highgate-rsl.org.au/afcraaf-roll/roberts-kimberley-415358/

They had dropped their bombs and were heading home towards the Cherbourg Peninsular. They were
unusually below the cloud base at 1800ft. When John Tucker the Wireless Operator said to the Rear Gunner
“Could he see an enemy fighter behind us”. He could see something on the Fishpond Radar. Guy Wyand
replied “All he could see was Lancasters”.

Neither of the gunners could see anything. Within seconds there was a temendous bang and crash. Kim immediately corkscrewed but there was a second attack. There was a scream from the Rear Gunner and both starboard engines caught fire. Kim called the crew but there was no reply from the two gunners or the Wireless Operator. Jack operated the fire extinguishers but the fighter attacked again and the inner port engine  caught fire. Kim snapped “Abandon aircraft chaps” adding “Where’s my parachute Showman”.

Flames were streaking out 40ft behind as Reg opened the Bomb Aimers escape hatch and dropped out. Jack Forrest was next with Jack Lott behind shouting “Go on Showman, get mobile” Jack Forrest recalls the silence of the parachute descent from 1700ft into a marsh and up to his neck in water but then hearing Reg DeViell splashing about. They subsequently evaded capture for a few days but were eventually taken as Prisoners of War. Their survival in prison camps is part of another horrific story.

After the war and back in England they learned they were the only two survivors from C-Charlie. A fifteen year old boy remembers the blazing bomber with Kim at the controls deperately trying to avoid buildings and land but it broke up as it smashed into the ground.

The cockpit became an inferno and Kim’s body was cremated inside and never recovered. Two others had bailed out but died. A third and fourth body were found at Hameau Drieu 200yds behind a castle. The four were buried by resistance fighters in the cemetary at Auvers but later tranferred to military cemetaries, three at Bayeux and the other at Tilly-sur-Seulles.

https://www.bombercommandmuseumarchives.ca/s,cindersofclouds.pdf