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S/L E R Riches RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron - 1944/45
Riches and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds from 11 Base on the 23 October 1944.
The crew consisted of :-
F/L E R Riches,
Sgt E F Spencer,
F/S H E Hendrickson RCAF
P/O K Miller,
Sgt W H Clouston RCAF,
Sgt K A Glinz RCAF
F/S W G Bateman RCAF
This crew flew unaltered throughout their tour.
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Riches flew his first operation as Second Dickie in the crew of S/L P P Hague on the 25/26 October 1944 to Essen in Lancaster LM682.
He then captained his own crew on the following operations
16-Nov-44 - Duren - Army support - Lancaster - LM295 - F/L ER Riches
21-Nov-44 - Aschenaffenburg - Railway yards - Lancaster - NF909 - F/L ER Riches
04-Dec-44 - Karlsruhe - Point of Aim - Lancaster - ND861 - F/L ER Riches
12-Dec-44 - Essen - Point of Aim - Lancaster - NG391 - F/L ER Riches
28-Dec-44 - Munchengladbach - Railway yards - Lancaster - NG391 - F/L ER Riches
29-Dec-44 - Scholven Buer - Oil - Lancaster - NG391 - F/L ER Riches
31-Dec-44 - Osterfeld - Railway yards - Lancaster - ND861 - F/L ER Riches
02-Jan-45 - Nuremberg - Point of Aim - Lancaster - NG391 - F/L ER Riches
05-Jan-45 - Hannover - Point of Aim - Lancaster - NF913 - F/L ER Riches
07-Jan-45 - Munich - Point of Aim - Lancaster - PD281 - F/L ER Riches
14-Jan-45 - Merseburg - Oil - Lancaster - LM177 - F/L ER Riches
16-Jan-45 - Zeitz - Oil - Lancaster - NG173 - F/L ER Riches
01-Feb-45 - Ludwigshafen - Point of Aim - Lancaster - NG491 - F/L ER Riches
02-Feb-45 - Wiesbaden - Point of Aim - Lancaster - NG491 - F/L ER Riches
20-Feb-45 - Dortmund - Point of Aim - Lancaster - NG491 - F/L ER Riches
21-Feb-45 - Duisburg - Point of Aim - Lancaster - NG491 - S/L ER Riches
24-Feb-45 - Kattegat - Mine laying - Lancaster - N/K - S/L ER Riches
11-Mar-45 - Essen - Point of Aim - Lancaster - NG491 - S/L ER Riches
13-Mar-45 - Herne - Benzol - Lancaster - NG491 - S/L ER Riches
16-Mar-45 - Nuremberg - Point of Aim - Lancaster - NG491 - S/L ER Riches
03-Apr-45 - Nordhausen - V Weapons factory - Lancaster - ME847 - S/L ER Riches
10-Apr-45 - Plauen - Railway yards - Lancaster - ME847 - S/L ER Riches - Diverted to Sandtoft due to poor weather at base.
18-Apr-45 - Heligoland - Naval base and airfield - Lancaster - ME847 - S/L ER Riches
22-Apr-45 - Bremen - Army support - Lancaster - ME847 - S/L ER Riches
28-Apr-45 - Brussels - Operation Exodus - Lancaster - PA278 - S/L ER Riches - Unable to return with any POWs back because weather was by then very bad.
01-May-45 - Rotterdam - Operation Manna - Lancaster - ME847 - S/L ER Riches
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Riches does not appear to have received any award at the end of his tour and what became of him and his crew I do not know.
Any info will be welcome.
Compiled by David Fell with photo from the Riches family
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