Robert William Raebel BEM (1916 - 1992)

Ancestors Descendants

Contents 1 Biography 2 Sources 3 See also 4 Advance Directive

Biography

Robert William Raebel BEM was born on 10th October 1916 in Cottesloe, Western Australia, Australia. Bob, as he was known to all, was the eldest son of Frank Raebel and Ellen Cook. ^[1]

In 1934, aged 18 years, Bob enlisted in the militia 10th Light Horse Regiment, which retained the territorial title, Western Australia Mounted Infantry (WAMI). ^[2] He was a mounted trooper gunner, riding postillion in a six horse team with their gun and limber. ^[3]

He followed Marjorie Haynes, daughter of Albert and Euphemia Haynes, from Perth to Melbourne in 1939 and married her there. ^[4] They had two sons:

• Nelson Frederick Raebel (1940-c2010)
• Geoffrey William Raebel (1947-)

In October that year, with the declaration of (Second World) War and with his aircraft mechanics trade qualifications (via James (Woods) Taxi Planes at Maylands, Perth WA) and post trade qualifications from RMIT, Bob enlisted in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). His enlistment date of 6th November 1939 assured him of a low service number; 5140 being allocated to him. ^[5]

He was soon placed on No 2 Pilot/Mechanics Course. The course was 'scrubbed' when the RAAF found it took longer to train an engineer than a pilot. Following a time assembling Avro Ansons at Laverton, Victoria. Bob was selected and posted overseas to 452 Squadron, then in UK. On arrival things changed and Bob was was selected as one of 80 to form the groundstaff of the newly formed

455 Squadron RAAF to operate from Swinderby. He joined the convoy from Melbourne to Vancouver, Canada; then by Trans Canadian to Halifax; and further convoy to the United Kingdom (UK) through those dangerous North Atlantic sea lanes; escorted by the ancient HMS Malaya.

Was sent to the UK with the RAAF on the Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (ship), via New Zealand, in 1941 to form 455 Squadron RAAF. In New Zealand Bob's party were transferred to the HMT Awatea for passage to Vancouver. Then by the Tanas Pacific Railway to join a convoy from Halifax to UK. The group was part of a batch of early RAAF staff sent to UK in 1941 to reinforce 452 Squadron RAAF. They received special training at Handley Page on the maintenance of Hampden bombers.

The squadron, equipped with Handley Page Hampden medium bombers, was deployed to Royal Air Force (RAF) Bomber Command, then assembling the 455 Squadron, including a majority of RAAF personnel. 455 Squadron became the first Australian squadron to bomb Germany when it mounted its first bombing raid, against Frankfurt, on the night of 29th August 1941. Bob was promoted to Flight Sergeant B Flight 1st Jan 1942, in charge of all B flight maintenance. In May 1942, the squadron was posted to Coastal Command and in September that year was deployed to the Eastern Front in Russia. Bob volunteered to fly on a mission near Murmansk (Severomorsk) in protection of the essential Convoy PQ18 to prevent a Russian collapse at Stalingrad. The aircraft carried a ground-crewman (Bob was one of those). The maintenance staff and Flight Lieutenant Bilton OiC were rushed via Iceland to Murmansk on the USS Tuscaloosa. Their mission complete, the Squadron returned to the UK in November 1942 on HMS Argonaut, leaving Bob in charge of a detachment of tradesmen to finish training Russian technicians on Hampdens. He brought his party out on the destroyer HMS Intrepid. ^[6]

Bob was awarded the British Empire Medal for his services with the RAAF on the Eastern Front; gazetted 2nd June 1943. It was awarded by HM King George VI, on 30th November 1943. He then held the rank of Flight Sergeant. ^[7][8]

In November 1943 Bob was recalled from Coastal Command to RAF Bomber Command to be (Warrant Officer) Engineer Officer in the newly-formed 463 Squadron RAAF, Waddington; equipped with Lancaster heavy bombers. In 17 months of operations, the squadron sustained the highest loss rate of any of the Australian bomber squadrons. The squadron flew its last raid on the night of ANZAC Day 1945. It then began ferrying liberated Allied prisoners of war to Britain, even before the war ended, and continued in this role after the cessation of hostilities. It was one of the squadrons identified to form part of "Tiger Force", Bomber Command's intended contribution to the strategic bombing of Japan. The war in the Pacific ended before the force could be deployed and 463 Squadron disbanded on 25th September 1945. ^[9] Bob was Mentioned in Despatches (equivalent to today's Commendation for Gallantry), gazetted 8th June 1944.^[10]

467 / 463 Squadron Marching Banner

[1] Bob was posted to RAAF Parkes after having been overseas for four years and was briefly Officer Commanding at Parkes. His final posting in the RAAF was to the 1st Engineering School. Upon cessation of hostilities, he was de-mobilised as a Warrant Officer on 19th September 1945.^[11]

After the war finished he started a general mechanical business at Tinamba, Victoria. About 1949 he built a caravan and loaded the family with mother and sister-in-law and migrated north as far as Yeppoon, Queensland, before settling in Maryborough.

Re-joining the army in 1951, Bob was commissioned and served in the re-raised part-time Citizens Military Force 47th Infantry Battalion, Northern Command (based on Maryborough, Queensland). Following an army restructure in 1960, the battalion became a company-sized element of the 1st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, known as 'D' Company (The Wide Bay Regiment). ^[12] In 1965, Bob finally 'hung-up' his boots and sabre on a four decade-long military career; having attained the rank of Captain.

In 1956 the Burrum Shire Council (now merged into the City of Hervey Bay) offered him the position of maintenance manager of their fleet of trucks and machinery. He later skippered a long-line fishing vessel (Huon) off the west coast of Tasmania and Bass Strait; sold all sorts of commercial shipping equipment and engine room monitoring systems for the National Instrument Company; and in 1966 became Contracts Engineer - Oil Engines with Rolls Royce Australia. He retired in 1976, living in Sydney briefly with son, Geoff, before moving back to Queensland and living with son, Nelson.

Aged 75 years, Bob Raebel passed away of lung cancer on 4th February 1992 and was buried in Pimpama Island Cemetery, Norwell, Queensland. His flying friends at the Gold Coast Flying Club flew past in a 'Missing Man formation' Geoffrey Raebel. His older son, Nelson, is buried beside him. ^[13]

Memories: 2