Robert Love McKINNEY. Flight Engineer, Pilot Officer 56582 Royal Air Force of 58 Squadron. Crew of Halifax II, JP336 Crashed at Kattegat 23 April 1945 aged 33.
Son of George and Esther Maria McKINNEY, nee Moore of 27 Upper Frank Street, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey and on his parents' memorial in Plot B5. Grave 210. Dundonald Cemetery
Following extract credited to
http://www.flensted.eu.com/1945045.shtml -
Halifax GR II JP336 crashed Kattegat 24/4 1945.
The aircraft belonged to RAF 58 Sqn. Bomber Command and was coded BY-X.
T/o Stornoway 20:15. OP: Anti shipping in Kattegat. While attacking a German convoy the Halifax was hit by flak and a fire started. Pilot F/O L.B. Davey headed for land but had to ditch the burning Halifax in the sea 01:40 hours. The location was reported from the lighthouse at Sejrø island to be 3 degree, 30 miles which is the sea 10-15 kilometres east of Grenå. Davey got out of the Halifax and heard F/Sgt Thomas E. P. Rosenthal call for help. Davey managed to get him out and at the same time W/Op F/O John V. Johnson and W/OP Sgt Gerard A. Guinane got out.
They inflated the aircraft's dinghy and looked for the remaining crew in the water.
The wind from west took them out to sea. Rosenthat died from his wounds during the night and was buried at sea. His body was found washed ashore near Svarthall on the Swedish west coast and was laid to rest in Varberg cemetery on 26 July 1945. After 36 hours in the dinghy it was observed by the German lookout at the island of Anholt and the fishing boats “Vera” and “Hafnia” were sent to pick the flyers up and take them to Anholt. From Anholt the flyers were taken to Grenå and to “Aarhus Kommunehospital” hospital where they remained until Denmark was liberated on 5 May 1945.
On 11 November 1945 the body of Tail Gunner Sgt Edmond N. Oddy was found washed ashore on the beach near Saksild plantation. On 11 and 12 November W/Op F/O Edgar I. Ford RCAF and Navigator F/O Maynard A. Parker RCAF were found washed ashore south of Rude beach hotel. It is not clear who was found on which date.
All three were laid to rest in Odder cemetery on 16 November 1945. Reverend L.L. Meldgaard officiated at the graveside ceremony which was attended by numerous citizens as well as a detachment of English soldiers who fired a salute of honour at the end of the ceremony.
Flt. Engr. P/O Robert L. McKinney and W/Op-Air Gnr. Sgt George G. Cockroft have no known graves and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Photograph credited to Andrew Moore F.T., Ancestry 1.2.2020
