Flight Sergeant Ronald David Gallagher
- Rank
- Flight Sergeant
- Service number
- 427459
- Unit
- Royal Australian Air Force 467 Squadron
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action
- Place of death
- Eickendorf, Germany
- Date of death
- 22 January 1944
- Age
- 21
- Plaque number
- L125B
- Co-located plaques
- L125 - FSGT James Steffan
- L125A - FSGT Eric Turpie
- Dedicated by
- Family on 12 February 2022
- More information
Biography presented during plaque dedication:
Ronald David Gallagher was born at East Coolgardie, Western Australia in December 1922 to parents Francis Gordon and Jessie May Gallagher who married in Kalgoorlie in 1922. It is unknown if Ronald had any brothers or sisters.
Ronald enlisted into the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in July 1942 at Perth for aircrew.
He commenced his training in September 1942 as an air gunner, completing his training in February 1943.
He embarked for overseas service to England where he was posted to number 467 Squadron, an RAAF bomber squadron which flew four engine Avro Lancasters.
On the night of 21-22 January 1944, Ronald’s squadron was sent to bomb a large industrial facility at Magdeburg, Germany, situated on the Elbe River. The operation had a total of over 600 bombers that were sent to bomb the industrial area.
Ronald was the rear gunner in Avro Lancaster, serial ED803 code PO-B which took off from its base at RAF Station Waddington, Lincolnshire at 2020 hours on the night of 21 January 1944.
The exact fate of the Lancaster bomber is unknown as it failed to return to base after the bombing operation. His aircraft was one of three Royal Australian Air Force aircraft and one of 55 allied aircraft that were lost on that night during which a total of 2,024 tons of bombs were dropped.
It was later established the Lancaster had crashed near Eikendorf about 20 km south of Magdeburg. It had been shot down by enemy fire on its return from the raid, believed to be by a German night fighter aircraft.
Ronald along with the six other crew members were listed as missing until the end of the war. Ronald and the crew had been buried with full military honours by the Germans.
Flight Sergeant Ronald David Gallagher, service number 427459 of 467 Squadron RAAF, was killed in action on 22 January 1944. He was 21 years of age.
Ronald was re-interred in the Berlin 1939 – 1945 War Cemetery, Berlin Germany along with the six other aircrew from his Lancaster bomber. He is remembered with honour.
His plaque lies alongside those of fellow 467 Squadron RAAF Flight Sergeants' James Steffan and Eric Turpie.