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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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Bomber Command Crest
29.06.1942 No.14 Operational Training Unit Hampden I AD848 GL-G Sgt. Krome

Operation: Training

Date: 29th June 1942 (Monday)

Unit: No. 14 Operational Training Unit (OTU)

Type: Hampden I

Serial: AD848

Code: GL-G

Base: RAF Cottesmore

Location: Moorends near Doncaster, Yorkshire.

Pilot: Sgt. Theodore Anton Krome AUS/403428 RAAF Age 29. Killed

Obs: P/O. Frederick Francis Wood J/8619 RCAF Age 26. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Ralph O’Keefe 798640 RAFVR

W/Op/Air/Gnr: Sgt. Wallace Alan Robson AUS/411052 RAAF Age 19. Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

During a night cross country training exercise the Hampden dived almost vertically at 21:43 hrs into the ground at Moorlands in Yorkshire. (some reports list the time as 23:43 hrs)

All the crew were killed - no details as to the cause of the crash.

14 OTU Hampdens at RAF Cottesmore

Burial details:

Funerals for the crew took place on the 03rd July 1942 at 12:30 hrs at the Hatfield Cemetery.


Sgt. Theodore Anton Krome. Hatfield Cemetery (Woodhouse). Row EE. Grave 19. Born on the 02nd February 1913 the son of Heidrich and Clara Krome, husband of Mary Ann Krome, of 18 Mangerton Road, West Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia.


P/O. Frederick Francis Wood. Hatfield Cemetery (Woodhouse). Row EE. Grave 21. Understood to be from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. No further details - are you able to assist?



Sgt. Ralph O’Keefe. Hatfield Cemetery (Woodhouse). Row FF. Grave 19. Son of Joseph and Margaret O'Keefe, of Stephenville Crossing, Newfoundland, Canada.


Sgt. Wallace Alan Robson. Hatfield Cemetery (Woodhouse). Row FF. Grave 20. Born on the 20th August 1922 the son of Edward and Mary Rose Robson. Had very recently married Frances Marion Robson, of 237 Queen Street, St. James, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.






With thanks to Barry Jameson for bringing this loss to our attention. Thanks also to Carole Ann O’Keefe - niece of Sgt. Ralph O’Keefe who contacted us in November 2016 with his correct address details. For further details our thanks to the following sources:

KTY 10.09.2016

RW 02.02.2017 Newspaper cutting re Wallace Robson added

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and Captain François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Andrew Mielnik: Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Polish graves: https://niebieskaeskadra.pl/, PoW Museum Żagań, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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