Roll of Honour

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Name RYAN
First names Douglas James (Din)
Rank F/Sgt
Service RAAF
Service number 426393
Crew position Wireless Operator
Age 22
Date of death 19/07/44
Cemetery St Ouen-en-Domprot Churchyard Marne France

Image courtesy of Jo Real
Image courtesy of Jo Real
The original headstone
Photographed by Malcolm Brooke
The present day CWGC headstone

Photographed by Joanne Real (Din was her Grandmother's cousin)
A memorial to 'Din' Ryan placed on his Uncle's grave in
the Richmond Cemetery, Queensland, Australia.

Click this link to see images of the memorial in Lion's Park, Richmond

18/19 July, 1944; REVIGNY:
Crews, exhausted from their pre-dawn exploits were roused from their beds to be told they were 'on' again that night. Two railway targets at Aulnoye and Revigny in France had been selected for attack by 253 Lancasters and 10 Mosquitoes of 1,3,5 and 8 Groups. Both targets were hit, severing the rail lines to the battle front, although several bomb aimers reported confusion caused by fires burning near the Red Spot. At interrogation, crews once again reported an extremely large amount of fighter activity.

F/O Cliff Lacy DFC, and his experienced crew including two Aussies and one Canadian, also fell victims during the savage air battle over Revigny. The two gunners, Sgt Barlow and P/O Wellein RCAF, were the only survivors and were taken to Luft 7. The remainder lie at rest in St Ouen-en-Domprot Churchyard near Marne.

Lancaster PB231 (EA-H)
F/O C. Lacy DFC Pilot (Killed)
Sgt I. Shingles F/E (Killed)
W/O L.B. Holmes RAAF NAV (Killed)
F/S D.J. Ryan RAAF W/OP (Killed)
Sgt W.G. Barlow A/G (P.o.W.)
F/S V. Gallagher A/B (Killed)
Sgt J.C. Wellein RCAF A/G (P.o.W.)

Crew on their 16th operation

Image courtesy of Jo Real
The crew of PB231 (Din is 5th from the left)
Image courtesy of Joanne Real
Image courtesy of Joanne Real

Image courtesy of Jo Real
Din and his cousin Betty O'Sullivan at a local swimming spot
in their wool bathing suits.

Image courtesy of Jo Real
Din's last leave dated December 1942
In the photo are:
Back row:
Jack (Tiger) Ryan (his father), Din, Nina O'Sullivan (my grandmother's youngest sister), May Ryan (Din's mother) who is holding my mother Caroline McLachlan (married Real).
Front row:
Ken Ryan (his brother), Shirley (his sister) and June (his sister)

Image courtesy of Jo Real 
From a local newspaper (exact date unknown)

Image courtesy of Jo Real

A treasured family possession, Din's wallet, which was
returned to the family at the end of the war

The 49Sqn Association would like to thank Joanne Real and the Ryan & O'Sullivan families for allowing us to display and share these personal images