Raymond De Champfleur DARKEN

DARKEN, Raymond De Champfleur

Service Number: 411096
Enlisted: 31 March 1941
Last Rank: Flight Sergeant
Last Unit: No. 207 Squadron (RAF)
Born: Parkes, New South Wales, Australia, 11 January 1917
Home Town: Springwood, Blue Mountains Municipality, New South Wales
Schooling: Parkes Primary & High Schools & Armidale Teachers College
Occupation: School Teacher
Died: Flying Battle, Germany, 21 January 1943, aged 26 years
Cemetery: Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany
Plot 20, Row E, Grave 4
Memorials: Armidale Teachers' College WW2 Roll of Honour, Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial, Parkes & District Cenotaph, Parramatta NSW Department of Education Teachers and Trainees WW2 Honour Roll
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World War 2 Service

31 Mar 1941: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, 411096, Sydney Air Crew
31 Mar 1941: Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 411096
21 Jan 1943: Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 411096, No. 207 Squadron (RAF)

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Biography contributed by Elizabeth Allen

Raymond De Champfleur DARKEN was born on 11th January, 1917 in Parkes, New South Wales

His parents were Eugene Edward de Champfleur DARKEN & Catherine Beatrice WOODWARD who married in England in 1905 - his father Eugene served in WW1 (SN962) and returned to Australia in 1916 where he died in 1938

Raymond enlisted in Sydney on 31st March 1941 as Air Crew & completed his initual training in Canada with the Empire Air Training Scheme before being posted to the United Kingdom

He trained as an Air Gunner (21st July, 1942) and then a Navigator (18th October, 1942)

He was killed in air operations over Essen in Germany on 21st January, 1943 in a Lancaster Bomber (W4365) EM-B with the 207 Squadron of the Royal Air Force and is buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemeter, Kieve, Germany

His name is memorialised on the Australian War Memorial, the Parkes & District Cenotaph & the Roll of Honour in Parkes, NSW

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