F/O Donald A Ryerse RCAF and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1944
Failed to Return – 31st August 1944 – Avro Lancaster III – LM243 – Op Agenville
Donald Ryerse ( pictured above )and crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds from Heavy Conversion Unit 11 Base on the 1st July 1944. They were lost on their 17th operation. See below :-
17-Jul-44 - Sanneville - Lancaster – JB655 - F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
20-Jul-44 - Wizernes - Lancaster – ND613 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
23-Jul-44 - Kiel - Lancaster - ND613 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
24-Jul-44 - Stuttgart - Lancaster - LM177 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
25-Jul-44 - Stuttgart - Lancaster - ND613 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
28-Jul-44 - Stuttgart - Lancaster - ND613 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
01-Aug-44 - Belle-Croix-Les-Bruyeres - Lancaster – ND613 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
03-Aug-44 - Trossy-St-Maximin - Lancaster - ND613 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
04-Aug-44 - Pauillac - Lancaster - ND613 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
05-Aug-44 - Blaye - Lancaster - ND613 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF - Base closed due to low cloud. Diverted to Ossington.
07-Aug-44 - Fontenay-le-Marmion - Lancaster - ND613 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
16-Aug-44 - Pomeranian Bay - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
18-Aug-44 - Ertvelde Rieme - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
25-Aug-44 - Russelheim - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
26-Aug-44 - Kiel - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
29-Aug-44 - Stettin - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
31-Aug-44 - Agenville - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF – FTR - Probable flak victim. Crashed in France.
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F/O Donald Arthur Ryerse RCAF ( pictured above ) – 20 – 103 Sqn - Son of Arthur C. and Jessie M. Ryerse, of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada - Runnymede Memorial
Sgt Edward Thompson RAFVR – 23 - 103 Sqn - Son of William and Helen Thompson, Prescot, Lancashire - Runnymede Memorial
F/S William Nixon RAFVR – Air Bomber - 23 - 103 Sqn - Son of John Teasdale Nixon and Catherine Nixon of Wishaw, Lanarkshire - Abbeville Communal Cemetery, France.
F/S Kenneth Henry Pithouse RAFVR – 22 - 103 Sqn - Son of William Kenneth and Gladys Irene Pithouse, of West Norwood, London - Runnymede Memorial
F/O Robert Edwin Richardson RAFVR – Wireless Operator - 21 - 103 Sqn - Son of Frank and Jane Richardson of Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire - Abbeville Communal Cemetery, France.
F/S Norman Thomas James RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Gunner - 23 - 103 Sqn - Son of George and Addie James; husband of Joyce K. James of Noranda, Province of Quebec - Calais Canadian War Cemetery, France
Sgt Cyril Small RAFVR – Air Gunner - 30 - 103 Sqn - Son of Thomas and Alice Elizabeth Small of Winterton, Lincolnshire – Died in captivity - Abbeville Communal Cemetery, France.
F/S Norman Thomas James RCAF
Headstones at Abbeville Communal Cemetery, France.
F/S William Nixon RAFVR
F/O Robert Edwin Richardson RAFVR
Sgt Cyril Small RAFVR
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31-Aug-44 - Agenville
103 Squadron detailed 14 aircraft for this attack on The V2 storage facility at Agenville France. All aircraft too off in good weather but cloud persisted along most of the route and crews had to descent from the bombing height ordered. The markers appeared somewhat scattered and the Master Bomber's instructions were at times rather confused. Bombing was from between 7000 ft and 11500 ft. Defences consisted of intense predicted flak and some machines were hit . F/O Ryerse and crew are missing from this operation. All other machines returned safely to base.
For this attack on 9 V2 storage sites in northern France Bomber Command detailed a total of 601 aircraft - 418 Lancasters, 147 Halifaxes, 36 Mosquitos. 8 of the sites were found and bombed. 6 Lancasters lost.
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Lancaster – LM243
LM243 PM – T with F/O Bartleet
This machine was lost on its 18th operation. See below :-
20-Jul-44 - Wizernes - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O JPD Bartleet
23-Jul-44 - Kiel - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O JPD Bartleet
24-Jul-44 - Stuttgart - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O JPD Bartleet
30-Jul-44 - Foret-de-Nieppe - Lancaster - LM243 - S/L FVP Van Rolleghem
03-Aug-44 - Trossy-St-Maximin - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O JPD Bartleet
05-Aug-44 - Blaye - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O JPD Bartleet - Base closed due to low cloud. Diverted to Ossington.
07-Aug-44 - Fontenay-le-Marmion - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O JPD Bartleet
10-Aug-44 - Dugny - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O JPD Bartleet
11-Aug-44 - Douai - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O JPD Bartleet
12-Aug-44 - Bordeaux - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O JPD Bartleet - Hit by flak. No crew injuries to crew
14-Aug-44 - Fontaine-le-Pin - Lancaster - LM243 – P/O JP Austin
15-Aug-44 - Le Culot - Lancaster - LM243 – F/L W Nixon
16-Aug-44 - Pomeranian Bay - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
18-Aug-44 - Ertvelde Rieme - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
25-Aug-44 - Russelheim - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
26-Aug-44 - Kiel - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
29-Aug-44 - Stettin - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF
31-Aug-44 – Agenville - Lancaster - LM243 – F/O DA Ryerse RCAF – FTR - Probable flak victim. Crashed in France.
Item compiled by David Fell with photos courtesy the Canadian Virtual War Memorial and the MacTaggart family. Graves photos courtesy of Ben Howson
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