Saundercook, Roland James
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | Roland James |
Surname | Saundercook |
Gender | M |
Age | 20 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 16-03-1945 |
Next of Kin | Son of Bruce Madden Saundercook and Helen Bernice Saundercook (née Yeoman) of Collins Bay, Frontenac County, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster I |
Serial Number | PB785 |
Markings | UL-L2 |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Durnbach War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 4. H. 10-12. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 1 |
Panel Number | 94 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/269079 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 1 |
Squadron | 576 |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | St. Clement of Rome Church, Fiskerton, Lincolnshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Tablet & 49 Sqn Roll of Honour |
Memorial Text | In memory of all who served at RAF Fiskerton 1943-1945 |
Location | St. Clement of Rome Church, Fiskerton, Lincolnshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Tablet |
Memorial Text | In memory of all who served at RAF Fiskerton 1943 - 1945 Per Erdua Ad Astra |
Location | Water Treatment Works, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Memo and Propeller Sculpture |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at R.A.F. Elsham Words 1941 - 1945 |
Location | All Saints Church, Elsham, Lincolnshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Tablet |
Memorial Text | In memory of the Airmen of 576 Sqn who gave their lives in 1939 - 45 War |
Miscellaneous Information
Roland was born at Kingston, Ontario on 25 January 1925. His father was born in Frontenac, Ontario and worked in the Marine Section of the RCAF and his mother was born at Lennox County. His father was a conservation officer. He had sisters Joan and Betty but a third sibling, Roy James had sadly died as an infant before Roland was born. He went to Bay View Public School in Collins Bay 1932-1939 (Academic) and Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute, 1939-1941 (Academic). His sporting interests were shooting and hunting. Roland worked at home doing odd jobs between 1941-1942 and then worked as a labourer in the machine shop of the Aluminium Company in Kingston, 1942-1943. |
He enlisted on 10 August 1943 and after training embarked from Halifax on 29 April 1944. He reached the U.K. and 3 PRC on 8 May 1944 and went on to 28 OTU on 6 June 1944, 11 Base 28 August 1944 and 576 Squadron on 31 October 1944. Sadly this young man was to lose his life on 16 March 1945. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/2050/19 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/2047/31 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 16-03-1945 |
End Date | 17-03-1945 |
Takeoff Station | Fiskerton |
Day/Night Raid | Night (12% moon) |
Operation | Nürnberg |
Reason for Loss | Attacked by a night fighter flown by Luftwaffe ace Hptm Gerhard Friedrich and both aircraft collided, crashing near Stuttgart |