Rem acu tengere....To hit the mark
No.1601365, Flight Sergeant, Bruce ROBSON
Aged 21
Bruce Robson was born in 1924 in Steeple Bumpstead (Risbridge Q4-1923 4A:1454), son of Thomas A A and Elizabeth S ROBSON (née CLAYDEN)
In 1939 Thomas A A ROBSON [28-12-1982], a retired shop keeper, and wife Elizabeth S [8-1-1988] and daughter Mercy [7-6-1920] were living at Grove Cottage, Steeple Bumpstead (2 entries closed). His brother Ian ( who we thank for Bruce's photo) tells us that Bruce left Earls Colne Grammar School aged 16, then applied for a government scheme for training as a draughtsman. After which he got a job at an engineering works at Saffron Walden, cycling there and back each day. After a while he gave the job up for fear of being exempt for RAF service. At the age of 17 he volunteered to become an RAF pilot and was tested and accepted. Called up aged 18 and trained in the UK and Canada. The course was closed down just weeks before passing out due to a surplus of trained pilots in the UK. He flew solo 12 times and returning to the UK he re-mustered as Bomb Aimer He was the brother in law of Leslie Ling, see here |
Handley Page Halifax Mk III, ser.no.NR131, c/s ZA-N, took off from RAF Melbourne (Cambs) at 16:57 for a raid on Chemnitz (Operation Thunderclap).
24 Halifax failed to return, a total of over 750 aircraft took part in the raid. Based on Chorley:- " NR131 Muhlhausen ZA-N 10 SQUADRON Airborne 1657 5 Mar 45 from Melbourne. Cause of loss not established. Crashed near Stalag 1XC at Muhlhausen, all the bodies were recovered from the wreckage by PoWs. Two weeks later, on 20 Mar 45, despite an order from the Germans forbidding a burial service, funeral proceedings were conducted by the Senior Chaplain, Revd. J.R.Bamber MA. The crew were:- F/L A.D.Stephen KIA; Sgt T.T.Elliott KIA; F/S K.V.Rees KIA; F/S B.Robson KIA; F/O H.C.Maria RNZAF KIA; P/O C.J.Roberts RCAF KIA; F/O R.E.Heap DFM KIA" The crew were originally buried in Neuer Friedhof, Muhlhausen and removed to Berlin on 1st September 1947.
photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details |