Roderick De Burgh MORRISON

Roderick De Burgh MORRISON Update Details

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MORRISON, Roderick De Burgh

Service Number:	415435
Enlisted:	12 October 1941
Last Rank:	Warrant Officer
Last Unit:	No. 77 Squadron (RAF)
Born:	Guildford, Western Australia, 20 February 1922
Home Town:	Guildford, Swan, Western Australia
Schooling:	Guildford State School (1934-36) Central State School, , Western Australia (1936-38)
Occupation:	Shop Assistant
Died:	Air operations, Germany, 29 January 1944, aged 21 years
Cemetery:	Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery 9. J. 6. Local Roll of Honour- Guildford Western Australia , Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Berlin, Germany
Memorials:	Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour, International Bomber Command Centre Memorial

World War 2 Service

12 Oct 1941:	Enlisted Royal Australian Air Force, Aircraftman 2 (WW2), 415435, No. 5 Initial Training School Pearce
9 Mar 1943:	Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 415435, Operational Training Units (RAF), Empire Air Training Scheme, No. 30 Operational Training Unit RAF (30 OTU) Night Bombing RAF Hixon
9 Jul 1943:	Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Flight Sergeant, 415435, No. 77 Squadron (RAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45
23 Jan 1944:	Promoted Royal Australian Air Force, Warrant Officer, No. 77 Squadron (RAF)
29 Jan 1944:	Involvement Royal Australian Air Force, Warrant Officer, 415435, No. 77 Squadron (RAF), Air War NW Europe 1939-45, KIA

Help us honour Roderick De Burgh Morrison's service by contributing information, stories, and images so that they can be preserved for future generations.

Biography contributed by David Barlow

RODERICK DE BURGH MORRISON (1920-1944)

Warrant Officer Roderick de Burgh Morrison was the son of Ulic and Gladys Morrison of East Guildford, Western Australia. A salesman working for Harris Scarfe & Sandovers of Perth before joining the, he was born at Guildford in February 1920. Enlisted 12 October 1941 at No 4 Recruiting Centre, after training in Australia at Ballarat (WAGS) and West Sale (B&GS) and obtaining his air gunners badge on 23 July 1942 before leaving from Melbourne for the United Kingdom and arriving there in January 1943.

He joined 77 Squadron on 7 July 1943.

Halifax LK729 took off from Elvington on the night of 28/29 January 1944 to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the plane after take off. Six of the crew lost their lives and Sergeant Garner was to become a POW.

CREW: Pilot Officer J O R Webster - Pilot Pilot Officer B J Kearley - Flight Engineer Sergeant G C Garner - Navigator Flight Sergeant L R Lewis - Air Bomber Flight Sergeant J W I Robinson - Wireless Air Gunner Sergeant E R Prince - Mid Upper Gunner Warrant Officer R de B Morrison - Rear Gunner Warrant Officer Morrison was buried at Fleckenzechlin Ostprignitz, Germany Grave 1 Row 2. After the war many were moved from outlying cemeteries to the Berlin War Cemetery. Roderick was reinterred in Grave 9.J.6 in the Berlin War Cemetery. Sergeant Prince is also buried in the Berlin War Cemetery Webster, Kearley, Lewis and Robinson have no known grave. Warrant Officer Morrison is remembered with honour at the Australian War Memorial and on the Guildford War Memorial, Western Australia.

Original bio by David Barlow 2020. Updated by Steve Larkins Jun 23 (77 Sqn Project)

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