Canadian Virtual War Memorial
Robert James McLean
In memory of:
Flight Sergeant Robert James McLean
May 5, 1945
The Kattegat
Military Service
R/273645
Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
547 Sqdn.
Additional Information
Commemorated on Page 543 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance. Request a copy of this page. Download high resolution copy of this page.
Burial Information
RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Surrey, United Kingdom
Panel 282.
During the Second World War more than 116,000 men and women of the Air Forces of the British Commonwealth gave their lives in service. More than 17,000 of these were members of the Royal Canadian Air Force, or Canadians serving with the Royal Air Force. Approximately one-third of all who died have no known grave. Of these, 20,450 are commemorated by name on the Runnymede Memorial, which is situated at Englefield Green, near Egham, 32 kilometers by road west of London.
The design of the Runnymede Memorial is original and striking. On the crest of Cooper's Hill, overlooking the Thames, a square tower dominates a cloister, in the centre of which rests the Stone of Remembrance. The cloistered walks terminate in two lookouts, one facing towards Windsor, and the other towards London Airport at Heathrow. The names of the dead are inscribed on the stone reveals of the narrow windows in the cloisters and the lookouts. They include those of 3,050 Canadian airmen. Above the three-arched entrance to the cloister is a great stone eagle with the Royal Air Force motto, Per Ardua ad Astra". On each side is the inscription:
IN THIS CLOISTER ARE RECORDED THE NAMES OF TWENTY THOUSAND AIRMEN WHO HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE. THEY DIED FOR FREEDOM IN RAID AND SORTIE OVER THE BRITISH ISLES AND THE LANDS AND SEAS OF NORTHERN AND WESTERN EUROPE
In the tower a vaulted shrine, which provides a quiet place for contemplation, contains illuminated verses by Paul H. Scott."
Information courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Digital Collection
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Details
Photo of ROBERT JAMES MCLEAN – Submitted for the project, Operation Picture Me -
Details
Runnymeade Memorial – Runnymede Memorial (CWGC) Excerpt of crash details used with permission of Soren Flensted of Air War Over Denmark www.flensted.eu.com Liberator B 24 GR8 KK299 of 547 Sqn. RAF Coastal Command T/O 08:55 Leuchars, Scotland. OP: Anti shipping in Kattegat. On 5/5 at 08:00 the German forces in Holland, Denmark and Northwest German capitulated. While four B 24`s were circling three German submarines in the Kattegat one of the submarines opened fire at 19:30 hours. F/Lt George William Hill piloting KK299 immediately attacked and dropped a bomb a few metres from U-534. During the second attack KK299 was hit by flak from U-534 and crashed into the sea about three miles from the submarine. B 24s of 86 Sqn. piloted by W/O Nichol and Captain Fowler as well as Lt. Thompson of 206 Sqn attacked and Nichol managed to sink U-534. The survivors and some bodies were picked up by two small naval vessels. One of the vessels sailed to Aarhus while the other sailed to Aalborg. The body of the navigator, F/L R. J. Allen rests at Aarhus Vestre cemetery. The body of W/Op W/O A. J. Dale was laid to rest in Aalborg Søndre cemetery. The remaining crew are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. There are three RCAF members: F/O Vincent D. Sweeney and F/Sgts Charles A. Keown and Robert J. McLean, plus the following: Pilot F/L G. W. Hill, 2nd Pilot J. L. Howatson RAAF, Sgt P. D. Phelan, F/Sgt W. A. Devins, P/O Harold Parks, and Sgt A. E. Tyrer.
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