Robert Anthony Hutchinson was the son of Robert and Beatrice Hutchinson and he was almost certainly born in Northumblerland. Little is known about his early life or RAF training, he was almost certainly posted to 1679 HCU as a lone air gunner and joined F/O Hatfield's crew as mid upper gunner. He survived the events of 16th / 17th December 1943 without injury.
Sgt Robert Hutchinson was still serving with 432 Squadron on 14th January 1944 when he was killed flying in Lancaster DS850 on Ops to Braunschweig. The aircraft sustained serious damage over the target area and the order to bale out was given but Sgt Hutchinson did not survive. He was still only twenty years old and is buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Germany. My thanks to Mr Graham Sharpe for the photograph of his gravestone.
He was married at the time of his death and while his wife is recorded in the CWGC database as living in Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire it is very likely that he had married while stationed at East Moor as a likely marriage registration exists for a R A Hutchinson in the Bulmer District of Yorkshire in 1943. East Moor airfield falls within this registration district.