Operation: Enemy shipping

Date: 21st February 1943 (Sunday)

Unit: No. 14 Squadron 201 Group Middle East Air Command (motto: أنا نشر الأجنحة بلدي وابقي على وعد - I spread my wings and keep my promise')

Type: Marauder IA

Serial: FK377

Code: CX-?

Base: LG221, Fayid, Egypt

Location: Milos Bay, Milos, Greece

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Raymond Allan Barton Aus/407612 RAAF Age 29. Killed

Pilot: Fl/Sgt. Norman Archibald McMillan NZ/411426 RNZAF Age 26. Missing - believed killed

Nav: F/O. Robert Harvey Annells Aus/401292 RAAF Age 26. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. George Arnold Aus/407760 RAAF Age 27. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Frederick John Armstrong 1292354 RAFVR Age 22. Missing - believed killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Richard Frederick Bell 1295359 RAFVR Age 21. Missing - believed killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Taking off from Shallufa at 12:45 hrs with eight others to attack enemy shipping off Milos. Two failed to return.

The other being FK139 flown by Fl/Sgt. Basil Herbert Yarwood 1067455 RAFVR. He and his other five crew members have no known graves.

No exact information as to the fate of FK377 was found, but one Marauder was seen to catch on fire in the harbour and crash into the sea, and another was last seen with its engine on fire.

Only the pilots body was recovered, the remainder have no known graves.

Burial details:

Fl/Sgt. Raymond Allan Barton. Phaleron War Cemetery. Joint grave 23. B. 9-10. Born on the 09th June 1913 at Kalgoorlie. Son of Henry Archibald and Nellie Cordelia Barton, of Burnside, South Australia. Grave inscription: 'That Freedom Live He Yielded All, Lest Freedom Die'.

Fl/Sgt. Norman Archibald McMillan. Alamein Memorial. Column 278. Born on the 15th June 1916 at Thames. A self employed fisherman prior to enlisting 02 March 1941. Son of George Allan McMillan and Lucy Isabella McMillan (née White), of Thames, Auckland, New Zealand.

F/O. Robert Harvey Annells. Alamein Memorial. Column 272. Born on the 25th May 1916 at Kadina. Son of Arthur Gladstone Annells and Elizabeth Christopher Annells; husband of Louisa Daphne Annells, of Hawthorn East, Victoria, Australia. B.Ec., Dip. Commerce.

Fl/Sgt. George Arnold. Alamein Memorial. Column 278. Born on the 04th June 1915 at Manchester, England. Son of George and Eva Winifred Arnold; husband of Florence Mildred Rose Arnold, of Renmark, South Australia.

Sgt. Frederick John Armstrong. Alamein Memorial. Column 270. Son of John and Amy Armstrong.

Sgt. Richard Frederick Bell. Alamein Memorial. Column 270. Son of Mr. and Mrs. A. F. Bell, of Ilford, Essex, England.

Researched and dedicated to the relatives of this pilot with thanks to Jenifer Lemaire and to the extensive research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Library Heritage Collection, Weekly News of New Zealand, other sources as quoted below:

At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
All site material (except as noted elsewhere) is owned or managed by Aircrew Remembered and should not be used without prior permission.
© Aircrew Remembered 2012 - 2025 Last Modified: 04 February 2021, 14:02