Bob Dingle (1920–2016)

Bob Dingle (1920–2016). Bob Dingle (Fig 1), who was involved with the establishment of Australia's continental Antarctic stations in the 1950’s, has died in Swansea, Tasmania, aged 95. He was born William Robert John Dingle in 1920 in Cornwall, England and left school in 1936 to join the General Post Office. With the advent of the Second World War he enlisted in the RAFVR and trained as a Wireless Operator. He flew operationally with Nos 78 and 35 Squadrons, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal and was commissioned. On his 39^th operation the starboard inner engine of the Halifax bomber in which he was flying inexplicably caught fire. The flames quickly spread and the pilot gave the order to bale out. Unfortunately his pilot and rear gunner stayed on board and died in the crash and the navigators parachute failed to open. Bob landed safely and quickly linked up with the Belgian underground but was captured, a couple of weeks later on 6 January 1944, in a random Gestapo check of identity documents whilst boarding a train to Brussels. He spent the rest of the war as a POW.