Robert's brother
Raymond was also in the R.C.A.F. and had
been shot down earlier in the war. He
managed to evade the Germans and return to
the United Kingdom.
On 18 April 1942 eight
Hudson bombers were detailed to
attack enemy shipping off the Dutch coast. F/O Draper
was a wireless opeartor on Lockheed Hudson
Mk V AM878 RR-B. The remainder of his crew
consisted of:
P/O Edmond
David Girardot, RCAF, pilot
F/S Bruce Wilbert Weaver, RCAF,
F/S Edward George Alexander, RCAF, air
gunner
F/S Donald Stewart Kennedy, RCAF, Observer
They took off
from their base RAF Bircham Newton. One Hudson attacked a ship at
23 kilometers west of Den Helder. A second
Hudson attacked another ship 16 Kilometers
west of Den Helder.
F/O Draper's
Hudson failed to return and crashed into the
Waddenzee. F/O Draper's body washed ashore
on 12 July 1942
near the outerdike near Hallum. He is buried in
Hallum Protestant Cemetery.
His pilot, P/O
Edmond Girardot is buried in
Jonkerbos Canadian Cemetery. F/S Weaver is
buried in Franeker. F/S Kennedy and F/S
Alexander remain missing and are commeorated
at the Runnymede Memorial.
F/O Draper was
20. He is buried in Row 32. Grave 1A.
(Picture by
Wim Bastiaanse)