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Roberts Dunstan
Roberts Christian "Bob" Dunstan DSO (5 November 1922 – 11 October 1989) was an Australian soldier and aviator during the Second World War. He was notable, among other things, for:
Dunstan was born in Bendigo, Victoria on 5 November 1922 and attended Geelong Grammar School between 1934 and 1939.
On 3 June 1940, five months before his 18th birthday, Dunstan joined the Australian Imperial Force.
After training with the Royal Australian Engineers, he was posted as a reinforcement to the 2/8th Field Company, in North Africa.
In January 1941, during the Allied campaign to capture Tobruk, Dunstan was wounded in the knee; the wound became infected and later required the amputation of Dunstan's leg. After recuperating in Egypt, Dunstan was returned to Australia and medically discharged.
After a brief return to civilian life, during which he studied law, Dunstan volunteered for service overseas with the Royal Australian Air Force. In 1942, he trained as an air gunner at Port Pirie. At the end of his course, Dunstan embarked for the United Kingdom with the rank of sergeant.
He was posted, as a rear gunner, to No. 460 Squadron RAAF, an Avro Lancaster unit, at RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire. He flew his first operation, to Düsseldorf, on 11 June 1943 . In October, he was commissioned as a pilot officer.
During a raid on Kassel on 22–23 October 1943, the plane in which he was flying was hit by two incendiary bombs dropped by another Lancaster, which was off course. The damage caused by this accident cut off the oxygen supply to Dunstan and the other gunner, Flight Sergeant Hegarty. As a result of the oxygen starvation that both men suffered, neither saw the approach of an enemy night-fighter, and its attack badly damaged the Lancaster, one cannon shell passing through the rear-gunner's turret. The aircraft managed to return home and make a crash-landing at Bisham, the crew escaping unhurt.
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Roberts Dunstan
Roberts Christian "Bob" Dunstan DSO (5 November 1922 – 11 October 1989) was an Australian soldier and aviator during the Second World War. He was notable, among other things, for:
Dunstan was born in Bendigo, Victoria on 5 November 1922 and attended Geelong Grammar School between 1934 and 1939.
On 3 June 1940, five months before his 18th birthday, Dunstan joined the Australian Imperial Force.
After training with the Royal Australian Engineers, he was posted as a reinforcement to the 2/8th Field Company, in North Africa.
In January 1941, during the Allied campaign to capture Tobruk, Dunstan was wounded in the knee; the wound became infected and later required the amputation of Dunstan's leg. After recuperating in Egypt, Dunstan was returned to Australia and medically discharged.
After a brief return to civilian life, during which he studied law, Dunstan volunteered for service overseas with the Royal Australian Air Force. In 1942, he trained as an air gunner at Port Pirie. At the end of his course, Dunstan embarked for the United Kingdom with the rank of sergeant.
He was posted, as a rear gunner, to No. 460 Squadron RAAF, an Avro Lancaster unit, at RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire. He flew his first operation, to Düsseldorf, on 11 June 1943 . In October, he was commissioned as a pilot officer.
During a raid on Kassel on 22–23 October 1943, the plane in which he was flying was hit by two incendiary bombs dropped by another Lancaster, which was off course. The damage caused by this accident cut off the oxygen supply to Dunstan and the other gunner, Flight Sergeant Hegarty. As a result of the oxygen starvation that both men suffered, neither saw the approach of an enemy night-fighter, and its attack badly damaged the Lancaster, one cannon shell passing through the rear-gunner's turret. The aircraft managed to return home and make a crash-landing at Bisham, the crew escaping unhurt.