Bleddyn Lloyd ''Bob'' ''Taffy'' Roberts

 

                                  

                                                                  Picture from resistance group Comet Line

                                                                                             used for false ID passport       

 

Rank:  Sgt

Service No.: 1819401

Function: Rear Gunner

Squadron: 514

Hometown:  1, West End Tanygrisiau, Bl. Festinios, North Wales

Born:21 June 1924 at Tanygrisiau, North Wales

 Died: 7 October 1944 during a mission on Germany 

 

He was from the same crew as Brown, Ramsey Brailsford and Stone. all helped by the resistance group Comet Line and/or EVA.

Roberts arrives at Waterloo with Mr. Peeters, Rue du Tabellion at Brussels, who delivered him to resistance group EVA via L'Heureux.

He was hided by Demelenne from 28 May till 13 June.

On 13 June he was welcomed at Schaerbeek by Ivonne Bienfait who loged him till 16 June.

She handed him over to Mr. and Mrs. Alsteen where he stayed till 20 June.

That day he was evacuated to Namur by Poupier to the Camp of Bellevaux.

After he was liberated he went back to his squadron 514 and did ''one'' more missions.

On 7 October 1944 he lost his life together with his other 6 crewmembers on a ''Key'' mission to Emmerich, Germany flying with a Lancaster Mk.III LM735  JI-G² (A2-G ?).

Roberts and his 5 crewmembers are burried at the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery at Kleve, Germany.

 

07-Oct-44 LM735 A2-G    Emmerich        F/S Gilchrist         No crash site is given but the bodies of six of the crew were recovered and lie in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, suggesting that the aircraft came down in the vicinity of the target. Three other Lancasters were also lost in the target area, at least one to flak and another to incendiaries from another aircraft. It is considered most likely that LM735 was hit either by flak or by ‘friendly’ bombs. There is no record of hostile fighter activity on this daylight operation. Sgt. Sheehy who has no known grave, and is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

F/S T Gilchrist (Pilot) KIA
W/O GJ Manlow (Navigator) KIA
Sgt T Fenwick (Air Bomber) KIA
F/S S McLean RAAF (WOP/AG) KIA
Sgt PJ Sheehy (MU Gunner) KIA
Sgt BL Roberts (Rear Gunner) KIA
Sgt HR Knight (Flight Engineer) KIA

 

 

Info:  

http://www.cometeline.org/ficheD188.html

http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2041481/ROBERTS,%20BLEDDYN%20LLOYD

http://www.514squadron.co.uk/Losses.html