Russell DEVENISH-MEARES ¹

  General Notes:

W. D. & H. O. Wills (Tobacco); Family Stockbroking firm.
Russell, an officer in the R.A.A.F. disappeared over Narvik, Norway whilst engaged in torpedo-bombing, which entailed low-altitude flying over the ocean searching for enemy shipping. Neither his bomber nor the five crewmen (youngest being 19 years old) were ever traced. There were no children.

Commonwealth War Grave Commission entry
Name: DEVENISH-MEARES, RUSSELL
Initials: R
Nationality: Australian
Rank: Flying Officer
Regiment: Royal Australian Air Force
Age: 31
Date of Death: 09/12/1941
Service No: 4G2156
Additional information: Son of Charles Edward and Mary Anna Devenish Meares; husband of Nellie Constance Devenish Meares, of Burwood, New South Wales, Australia.
Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 62.
Cemetery: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL

Cemetery: RUNNYMEDE MEMORIAL
Country: United Kingdom
Locality: Surrey
Visiting Information: The Memorial is open every day except Christmas Day and New Years Day, as follows: Winter (1 November - 31 January) Weekdays: 08.00 - 16.00 hours Weekends & Public Holidays: 10.00 - 16.00 hours Summer (1 February - 31 October) Weekdays: 08.00 - 18.00 hours Weekends & Public Holidays: 10.00 - 18.00 hours
Location Information: This Memorial overlooks the River Thames on Cooper's Hill at Englefield Green between Windsor and Egham on the A308, 4 miles from Windsor.
Historical Information: The Air Forces Memorial at Runnymede commemorates by name over 20,000 airmen who were lost in the Second World War during operations from bases in the United Kingdom and North and Western Europe, and who have no known graves. They served in Bomber, Fighter, Coastal, Transport, Flying Training and Maintenance Commands, and came from all parts of the Commonwealth. Some were from countries in continental Europe which had been overrun but whose airmen continued to fight in the ranks of the Royal Air Force. The memorial was designed by Sir Edward Maufe with sculpture by Vernon Hill. The engraved glass and painted ceilings were designed by John Hutton and the poem engraved on the gallery window was written by Paul H Scott.
No. of Identified Casualties: 20339

Russell married Nellie Constance CRAGO, daughter of Francis Arthur CRAGO and Florence Maud HOSKINS, in 1937 in Burwood, New South Wales, Australia. (Nellie Constance CRAGO was born on 12 Jul 1918 and died on 28 Jan 1987 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.)