Freeland | Robert
Biography
Son of John and Marion Freeland
Robert Freeland, air bomber was a member of the crew of the Stirling III BK718 which was shot down on 4th July 1943, either by Flak88 or Hayo Hermann (luftwaffepilot). They took off at 23.26 on 3rd July 1943 from West Wickham and crashed at Mehlem on the west bank of the Rhine, 10 km SSE of Bonn.
The crew is buried at Overloon War Cemetery, except Sgt I.H. Norris, who managed to leave the plane and was a Prisoner of War (POW).
The other crew members who died were:
Official information via findagrave.com:
Plane data: Short Stirling III
Serialnr. BK718
Call Sign: WP-M
Unit: 90 Sqdn.
Take off: 11:26 PM West Wickham airfield.
Target: Köln.
Operation: Bombing.
Shot down by FLAK.
Crashed at Bonn-Mehlem, Germany.
Buried Plot GGG-2-28 Allied cemetery Margraten, Netherlands.
Reburied 01/05/1947 Overloon War Cemetery.
The inscription on Robert’s grave reads “Fondly remembered by all at home”.
Details of how Robert came to be with this crew can be found in the extended side-story about the fate of the crew of the Stirling BK718.
Robert Freeland was born on 14th December, 1920 in Hamilton, Scotland. He was the son of John and Marion Freeland.
John Freeland had married Marion Lindsay on 2nd September, 1904 in Hamilton. They had five children as follows, all born in Hamilton): John Lindsay Freeland (1904), Adam Whiteford Freeland (1907), James Freeland (1909), Catherine Doherty Freeland (1913) and Robert Freeland (1920).
In 1921 the family were living at 12 Corporation Buildings, Low Waters, Hamilton. Robert’s father was working as a coal miner / hewer for John Watson Ltd.
A newspaper article recorded that both Robert and his brother James were killed in action:
“Mr & Mrs John Freeland 35 Eliot Crescent, whose youngest son, Robert, was skilled in action two years ago, have received the very distressing news of the death of another son, James, on active service. Both sons, aged 22 and 35 respectively, were in the Royal Air Force. Flight Sergeant James Freeland was married, and his wife and two children reside at 50 Dalziel St, Hamilton. Sergeant Observer Robert Freeland joined the RAF in September 1941 and was trained in South Africa. He was on his 16th operational flight when brought down in Germany. Of a quiet and likeable disposition, he had successfully completed his course of training as a teacher of commercial subjects. Flight Sergeant Freeland joined up in September 1943, was trained in Canada and returned to this country before being sent to the Far East. He was a Baker with Miss Frame in civil life and noted athlete. He was a well known and popular member of Hamilton Harriers and won the club championship no fewer than 10 times. He was Scottish junior champion in 1935 and had the honour of being included in teams that took part in international events in Ireland and France.”
It is thought that Marion Freeland died in 1955 aged 75 in East Kilbride and John Freeland died in 1960 aged 80 at Stonehouse.
John Lindsay Freeland married Jean Quigley in 1933 in Hamilton. John died there in 1971 aged 66.
Adam Whiteford Freeland married Janet Smith Crowe in 1934 in Hamilton. He died in East Kilbride in 1953, aged just 46.
James Freeland married Mary Wilson Parker in Hamilton in 1936. He volunteered to join the Royal Air Force. He enlisted in Bomber Command on 4 October 1943 and underwent technical and operational training in England and Scotland before leaving for Canada on 30 January 1945 for flight training. On 19 April 1945, he was transferred to Air Command headquarters, Southeast Asia. On 27 May 1945, he was posted to 358 Squadron (Jessore, Bangladesh).
He was an air gunner on a special mission when he was also killed in a plane crash in Bangladesh. He is buried in the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Chittagong, Bangladesh.
Catherine Doherty Freeland married John Johnstone Wilkinson in Hamilton in 1945. He died in 1999 in Hamilton.
As has been seen, Robert Freeland died on 4th July 1943 when his RAF plane crashed over the Rhine. He had joined up in Edinburgh in September 1941.
