Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Robert Russell Denholm was born at Adelaide on 28th of July 1922,
the fourth child of James William and Myra Pauline (nee Doe) Denholm, of Cumberland Park, South Australia. Robert was a farm hand working in the Willowie area, when he enlisted for service in the RAAF on the 9th of June 1942, at No. 5 Recruiting Centre – Adelaide, after which he was re-mustered to aircrew.
He was then transferred to the No. 3 Bombing and Gunnery School (BAGS) at West Sale Airport, Gippsland Victoria, on the 9th of July 1942. BAGS provided bombing and gunnery training for pilots, air observers and air gunners. He was then shipped back to South Australia, and stationed at No. 6 Service Flying Training School, Mallala on the 19th of August 1942, before moving again to No 1 Initial Training school at Somers, Victoria.
He transferred to No. 2 Wireless and Gunnery School at Parkes, New South Wales, in January 1943, where he was made Leading Aircraftman. Then moved again to No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School at Port Pirie, South Australia in July. Robert achieved his Wireless badge on the 21st July, and Air Gunners badge on the 19th August 1943.
Robert finally embarked for overseas duty on the 10th of September 1943, arriving in the United Kingdom on the 19th of October of that year, as part of RAF Bomber Command. He joined 115 Squadron, RAF on the 1st of September 1944.
He was promoted to Flight Sergeant on the 19th of February 1944. On the 18th of October 1944, a force of 128 Lancaster’s took off for a mission over Germany. Robert was Wireless Operator of Lancaster Mk 1 HK544 KO-U, captained by Flying Officer Kenneth Victor Smith, of Miranda New South Wales which took off from Witchford in Cambridgeshire, as part of the force.
128 Lancaster’s were dispatched. This was the first major operation by No 3 Group in the new independent role which its commander, Air Vice-Marshal R Harrison, had been granted. Approximately one third of the group's Lancaster’s were now fitted with the G-H blind-bombing device and No 3 Group were to operate on days when the ground was concealed by cloud but when the cloud tops did not exceed 18,000 ft.
Air Vice-Marshal Harrison requested that the almost unbombed and unimportant town should be the target for this first operation, possibly so that post raid reconnaissance photographs could show the results of the first G-H raid without the effects of other bombing confusing the interpretation of the photographs. The attack was a complete success. The heart of old Bonn was destroyed, with its university, many cultural and public buildings and a large residential area being burnt out.
700 buildings were destroyed and 1,000 were seriously damaged. 1 aircraft was lost. At 13:14 hours, north east of Koudekerke Holland, HK544 KO-U crashed into the North Sea after being hit by flak. All seven crew members were killed.
Robert was 22 years of age. Robert Russell Denholm's name is located at panel 121 in the Commemorative Area at the Australian War Memorial He is also remembered at Runnymede Memorial UK, panel 260.

Source: "Diggers From the Dust - Honouring the service personnel of the Willowie and Amyton area"