P/O K S Pearce RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron - RAF Elsham Wolds – 1944
Crashed on Return - 18th August 1944 - Avro Lancaster I – LM293 – Op Ertvelde Rieme.
P/O K S Pearce and crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds from Heavy Conversion Unit 11 Base of the 30th July 1944.
On return to Elsham Wolds from their first operation to Ertvelde Rieme they made a heavy landing which burst a tyre and seriously damaged the aircraft which was beyond repair. There are no reports of injuries to the crew.
The crew for this operation consisted of :-
P/O K S Pearce
F/S J C Hartley RAAF
F/S A I N Bates
Sgt L R Willis
Sgt W F Mole,
F/S J D McCredie
Sgt H E Price
This crew flew one more operation and then disappear from the Squadron records. See below:-
03-Sep-44 - Eindhoven - Lancaster - PD272 - P/O KS Pearce - Landed at Downham Market
P/O Pearce was posted to RAF Station Eastchurch on the 22nd September 1944
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18-Aug-44 - Ertvelde Rieme
103 Squadron detailed 12 aircraft for this attack on the oil storage plant at Ertvelde Rieme in Belgium. Take off was in fair weather with 4/10ths cloud which improved en route and the target was identified by target indicators and some crews were able to spot ground detail. The markers were placed a little out but all crews bombed on the Master Bomber's instructions with, it is believed, good results. Defences were light consisting of a few light flak guns which did not worry our crews unduly. There was a little flak at the enemy coast. All aircraft returned to base but on landing P/O Pearce burst a tyre and crashed. No member of the crew was injured. All other aircraft landed safely.
For this attack a series of minor attacks on this day Bomber Command detailed a total of 64 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos to oil-storage depots at Bordeaux and Ertvelde Rieme, near Ghent, 16 Halifaxes and 16 Lancasters to 7 small flying-bomb sites, 23 Lancasters to La Pallice U-boat pens. 2 Lancasters lost on the flying-bomb site raid.
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Lancaster – LM293
ND990 was written off on its 11th operation. The first of these was with P/O Hayes and crew. See below :-
03-Aug-44 - Trossy-St-Maximin - Lancaster - LM293 - P/O BH Hayes
Item compiled by David Fell
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