F/O Peter J Abbott RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1944
Failed to Return – 12/13th July 1944 – Avro Lancaster III – ND993 – Op Revigny
Peter Abbott and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds from Heavy Conversion Unit 11 Base on the 2nd June 1944. This crew were lost on their 6th operation. See below :-
29-Jun-44 - Domleger - Lancaster - LM538 - F/O PJ Abbott
30-Jun-44 - Oisemont Neuville au Bois - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O PJ Abbott
02-Jul-44 - Domleger - Lancaster - ND990 - F/O PJ Abbott
05-Jul-44 - Dijon - Lancaster - ND990 - F/O PJ Abbott
07-Jul-44 - Caen - Lancaster - ND990 - F/O PJ Abbott
12-Jul-44 - Revigny - Lancaster - ND993 - F/O PJ Abbott - FTR - Friendly fire victim. Fired on by Lancaster LL896 of 166 Sq. Returned fire. Both aircraft crashed at Montiers-sur-Saux, France. There was possibly night fighter involvement as Uffz Heinz Seibert and Maj Werner Hoffman made claims in that area about the same time.
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F/O Peter John Abbott RAFVR - 23 - 103 Sqn - Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. G. S. Abbott of Nottingham - Montier-Sur-Saulx Communal Cemetery, France
P/O Alfred George Gleeson RAFVR – Flight Engineer - 32 - 103 Sqn - Son of Alfred and Henrietta Eliza Gleeson of Tunbridge Wells, Kent - Montier-Sur-Saulx Communal Cemetery, France
F/O Alexander John Morrison RCAF ( Pictured below ) – Air Bomber - 28 - 103 Sqn - Son of Angus and Isabella M. Morrison of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada - Montier-Sur-Saulx Communal Cemetery, France
Sgt Victor Neville Clayton RAFVR – Navigator - 103 Sqn - Husband of Iris Clayton of Markinch, Fife. - Montier-Sur-Saulx Communal Cemetery, France
Sgt Stephen Francis Labern RAFVR – Wireless Operator - 103 Sqn - Montier-Sur-Saulx Communal Cemetery, France
Sgt Gordon Miller RAFVR – Air Gunner - 103 Sqn - Montier-Sur-Saulx Communal Cemetery, France
Sgt Peter Robert Kewn RAFVR – Air Gunner - 21 - 103 Sqn - Son of Harold P. Kewn and Eleanor M. Kewn of Abbotsleigh, Somerset - Montier-Sur-Saulx Communal Cemetery, France

F/O Alexander John Morrison
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12-Jul-44 - Revigny
103 Squadron detailed 19 aircraft for this attack on the marshalling yards at Revigny France. Weather for take off was fair, 5/10ths cloud, and for the route it was good. Over the target area it was covered with cloud and in the resultant mix up some crews bombed the glow of markers while other brought their bombs back. The Master Bomber was very poor and indistinct and all round it was a poor attack. 8 crews bombed from 2500 ft to 8000 ft. Some flak was encountered in the target area but most of our losses were thought to be due to collision rather than fighters as the assembly point was marked but the whole area was covered with cloud. On return to base the weather had closed down and all machines had to be diverted due to lack of fuel. P/O Durrant had to bale out on orders from Carnaby due to lack of fuel. Three other machines are missing. :- P/O Harrison, F/O Abbott and F/O Phillips.
Bomber Command detailed a total of 378 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 5 and 8 Groups for this attack on railway targets at Culmont, Revigny and Tours. Culmont and Tours were accurately bombed but cloud interfered with the all-No 1 Group raid at Revigny and only half of the force bombed. 10 Lancasters were lost on the Revigny raid and 2 on the Culmont raid.
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Lancaster - ND993
21-May-44 - Duisburg - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O WJD Charles RCAF
27-May-44 - Aachen - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
02-Jun-44 - Calais - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
03-Jun-44 - Wimereaux – Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
05-Jun-44 - St-Martin-de-Varreville/Crisbec - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
06-Jun-44 - Vire - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
09-Jun-44 - Flers - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
12-Jun-44 - Gelsenkirchen - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
14-Jun-44 - Le Havre - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
16-Jun-44 - Sterkrade - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
17-Jun-44 - Aulnoye - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF - Aborted by Master Bomber due to cloud cover over target. Jettisoned long delay bombs & returned to base
22-Jun-44 - Mimoyecques - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O AP Forbes RCAF
23-Jun-44 - Saintes - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O AP Forbes RCAF
25-Jun-44 - Flers – Lancaster - ND993 - P/O AP Forbes RCAF
28-Jun-44 - Chateau Benapres - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
29-Jun-44 - Domleger - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
30-Jun-44 - Oisemont Neuville au Bois - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
02-Jul-44 - Domleger - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O BH Hayes
04-Jul-44 - Orleans-les-Aubrais - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
05-Jul-44 - Dijon - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O RH Colvin RCAF
05-Jul-44 - Dijon - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O BH Hayes
07-Jul-44 - Caen - Lancaster - ND993 - P/O BH Hayes
12-Jul-44 - Revigny - Lancaster - ND993 - F/O PJ Abbott – FTR - Friendly fire victim. Fired on by Lancaster LL896 of 166 Sq. Returned fire. Both aircraft crashed at Montiers-sur-Saux, France.
Item compiled by David Fell. Thanks to John Jones for his input
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