Historian looking for airman's family

[Kyt]

Exclusive: Historian's plea in hunt for family of hero WW2 airman - The Daily Record

A DUTCH historian hopes to solve a wartime mystery by finding the family of a Scots air hero who was killed in a mission over Nazi-occupied Europe.

Sergeant Robert Williams, from Glasgow, was just 21 years old when his Lancaster bomber was brought down over the town of Dalfsen in Holland, in May 1943.

Mike Kleinlugtebeld hopes to find out more about the brave Scots flyer and his heroic mission - which resulted in the death of all seven British crewmen.

Air gunner Sgt Williams' headstone in a graveyard - 60 miles east of Amsterdam - bears the moving inscription: "When last we saw you dear Bobby, little did we think it was our last farewell."

Kleinlugtebeld, 37, said: "I want to make clear to the people of Scotland there are many people in the Netherlands who have never forgotten the sacrifices made by all those men.

"It may have happened a long time ago but they gave their lives for our freedom and we have to make sure future generations never forget that.

"On the night of May 1, 1943, a Lancaster from 44 Squadron crashed in Dalfsen. The crew were later buried in Dalfsen.

"One of the crew members was Sergeant Robert Williams. I am trying to find out more about him.

I hope to trace the relatives of Sgt Williams or other people who knew him and can tell me more about him and his life.

"I hope to write a book which will help commemorate another crew who gave their young lives in my country during the war.

"I have always been deeply impressed and moved by the dreadful losses suffered by the Royal Air Force in my country.

"Thousands of airmen were killed in my country in the war and are buried in hundreds of cemeteries across the Netherlands."

Neil Griffiths of the Royal British Legion Scotland said his organisation would help find the loved ones of Sgt Williams.

Griffiths said: "The Royal Netherlands Air Force have a dedicated unit which follows these cases.

"The RAF helped liberate Holland and the Dutch have never forgotten that.

"We will do everything in our power to shed more light on this case and hopefully ensure a successful conclusion to a long and tragic story.

"We will include Sgt Williams in our journal Scottish Legion News so that we can hopefully trace his family - and at long last salute his ultimate sacrifice."

DO YOU KNOW BOBBY'S FAMILY?

If you can help Mike contact him at kleinlugtebeld@home.nl

[Kyt]

Name: WILLIAMS, ROBERT
Initials: R
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Sergeant (Air Gnr.)
Regiment/Service: Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Unit Text: 44 Sqdn.
Age: 21
Date of Death: 01/05/1943
Service No: 974495
Additional information: Son of William and Annie Williams, of Glasgow.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Plot 6. Row 1. Grave 7.
Cemetery: DALFSEN GENERAL CEMETERY

Lancaster ED783 (KM-F)

Mission to Essen 30/04 - 1/05/1943

Tookoff at 0025 from Waddington. Shot down by a night-fighter (Hptm Wolfgang Thimmig, 3/NJG1), crashing at 0320 at Rechteren (Overjissel), 13 km ESE of Zwolle, Holland. All are buried in Dalfsen General cemetery. The parents of Sgt Le Plage lived in Jersey

Sgt L J Ellis+
Sgt R LLe Page+
F/O W A Rollings RCAF+
Sgt J B Browne+
Sgt H C Ellis+
Sgt R Williams+
Sgt S S McClellan+