GALLAGHER, Ronald David
| Service Number: | 427459 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 July 1942 |
| Last Rank: | Flight Sergeant |
| Last Unit: | Not yet discovered |
| Born: | East Coolgardie, Western Australia, 15 December 1922 |
| Home Town: | Victoria Park, Victoria Park, Western Australia |
| Schooling: | Not yet discovered |
| Occupation: | Not yet discovered |
| Died: | Flying Battle, Germany, 22 January 1944, aged 21 years |
| Cemetery: |
Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery 2. N. 2. |
| Memorials: | Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial, Kings Park Western Australia State War Memorial, Victoria Park RSL Cenotaph |
World War 2 Service
| 3 Sep 1939: | Involvement Flight Sergeant, 427459 | |
|---|---|---|
| 14 Jul 1942: | Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 427459 |
Help us honour Ronald David Gallagher's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.
Add my storyBiography contributed by Geoff Tilley
Ronald David Gallagher was born at East Coolgardie, Western Australia in December 1922 to parents Francis Gordon and Jessie May Gallagher who married in Kalgoorlie in 1922. It is unknown if Ronald had any brothers or sisters.
Ronald enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in July 1942 at Perth for aircrew.
He commenced his training in September 1942 as an air gunner, completing his training in February 1943.
He embarked for overseas service to England where he was posted to No 467 Squadron, an RAAF bomber squadron which flew four engine Avro Lancasters.
It was on the night 21st/22nd January 1944 that Ronald’s squadron was sent to bomb a large industrial facility at Magdeburg Germany situated on the Elbe River. The operation had a total of over 600 bombers that were sent to bomb the industrial area.
Ronald was the rear gunner in Avro Lancaster, serial ED803 code PO-B which took off from its base at RAF Station Waddington, Lincolnshire at 2020 hours on the night of the 21st January 1944.
The exact fate of the Lancaster bomber is unknown as it failed to return to base after the bombing operation. It was later established the Lancaster had crashed near Eikendorf about 20 km south of Magdeburg. It had been shot down by enemy fire on its return from the raid, believed to be by a German night fighter aircraft.
Ronald along with the six other crew members were listed as missing until the end of the war. Ronald and the crew had been buried with full military honours by the Germans.
Flight Sergeant Ronald David Gallagher, service number 427459 of 467 Squadron RAAF was killed in action on 22nd January 1944. He was 21 years of age.
Ronald was re interned in the Berlin 1939 – 1945 War Cemetery, Berlin Germany along with the six other aircrew from his Lancaster bomber.
He is remembered with honour.
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