page_title: No. 458 Squadron RAAF
hierarchical_section_title: No. 458 Squadron RAAF
caption_attribution_description: English: AWM caption&#160;: Group portrait of the crew of "K" for Kitty, 458 Squadron RAAF after a raid. Identified, left to right: 404455 Sergeant (Sgt) James Howard "Rupe" Holmes, captain of Brisbane, Qld 404611 Sgt Sven Ivanouw Hansen, 2nd pilot of Brisbane, Qld 1261126 Sgt Les H Empson RAF, front gunner 407199 Sgt Robert McKerlie (Bob) Croft, rear gunner of Adelaide, SA probably 404343 Sgt Norman Henry Kobelke, observer of Brisbane, Qld (originally of Bulawayo, Rhodesia) 1283720 Sgt Ken A Cousins, RAF, wireless operator Croft was later lost on operations whilst flying with 463 Squadron RAAF. The accident report describes the events: Lancaster LL882 took off from RAF Waddington at 2200 hours on the night of 10/11th May 1944 to bomb the marshalling yards at Lille, France. Bomb load 1 x 4000lb and 16 x 500lb bombs. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Fourteen aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and three of these including LL882 failed to return. Post war it was established that the aircraft was shot down by a night fighter and dived into an old waterlogged clay pit at the Dumoulin brickworks some 2kms west of Langemark (West-Vlaanderen) and about 8kms north of Ieper (Ypres). All the crew were killed and they are buried in the Wevelgem Communal Cemetery which is located about 22kms east of Ieper a town centre on the Meenseweg NB connecting Ieper to Menin, Wevelgem and Kortrijk, Belgium. The crew were: RAAF 402817 Sqn Ldr M Powell, DFC Captain (Pilot); RAF FO Jaques, R (Navigator); RAF Flt Sgt B Fraser, (Bomb Aimer); RAAF 406700 Flt Lt Read, W N (Wireless Operator Air Gunner); RAF Sgt H L Molyneux, (Flight Engineer); RAAF 407199 FO Croft, R McK (Air Gunner); RAAF 407821 FO Croston, D P (Air Gunner).
context_page_description: No. 458 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force squadron that operated during World War II. It was formed in Australia under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme. The squadron flew various versions of Vickers Wellington bombers, first in Europe and later in the Middle East. It was disbanded in mid-1945, following the conclusion of hostilities in Europe.
context_section_description: No. 458 Squadron RAAF was a Royal Australian Air Force squadron that operated during World War II. It was formed in Australia under Article XV of the Empire Air Training Scheme. The squadron flew various versions of Vickers Wellington bombers, first in Europe and later in the Middle East. It was disbanded in mid-1945, following the conclusion of hostilities in Europe.
caption: Crew from No. 458 Squadron in front of their aircraft, December 1941
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