Middlemas, Robert James
Personal Information
Rank | WO2 |
Forename(s) | Robert James |
Surname | Middlemas |
Gender | M |
Age | 22 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 24-03-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of John William Middlemas and Clara Maude Middlemas (née Moseley), of Regina Saskatchewan, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Handley Page Halifax III |
Serial Number | MZ512 |
Markings | LK-C |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 6. C. 23. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 212 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/155997 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 4 |
Squadron | 578 |
Trade | Air Bomber |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Middlemas Lake, Saskatchewan |
Country | Canada |
Memorial Type | Lake |
Memorial Text |
Location | Adjacent to A19, Burn, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | For all who served in 578 Squadron Royal Air Force Burn 1944 - 1945 |
Location | Methodist Church, Burn, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text |
Location | Selby Abbey, Selby, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | RoH in Glass topped wooden cabinet |
Memorial Text | In memory of all 578 Sqn Aircrew who failed to return from Ops at RAF Burn |
Miscellaneous Information
Robert was born on 10 May 1921 at Regina Saskatchewan. Both parents were born in England, his father, a Civil Servant, in Lancashire and his mother in London. He had one brother, William Hugh who was an Ordinary Seaman serving on H.M.C.S. Cornwallis in Nova Scotia. The schools he attended were Herchmer in Regina. 1928-1936 (grade 8) and Scott school also Regina 1936-1940 (grade 12). His sport interests were golf, skating, tennis and swimming and he dabbled in building model aircraft. Between 1940 -1941 Robert worked as a clerk at the Bank of Montreal, Regina. He then enlisted on 13 April 1942. |
After training he embarked from Halifax on 8 April 1943 and arrived in the U.K. at 3 PRC on 18 April 1943. He was at 3(0) AFU on 8 June1943, 20 OTU. 6 July 1943, 1663 CU 4 October 1943 and 578 Squadron 27 February 1944. Robert sadly lost his life on 24 March 1944. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/2052/7 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/2050/5 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 24-03-1944 |
End Date | 25-03-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Burn |
Day/Night Raid | Night (1% moon) |
Operation | Berlin. 811 aircraft, 72 losses (8.9%). Known as the 'night of the strong winds', a very powerful wind from the north tended to push the aircraft south at every stage of the operation. As a result, the bomber stream became very scattered, allowing fighters to pick off stragglers, although 50 of the aircraft Lost were hit by flak. Around 20000 were bombed out but no industrial premises were hit. This was the last major raid on Berlin of the war. |
Reason for Loss | Hit by flak on return leg and crashed at Grossvargula, Germany |