Vincent G Gane DFC RAFO and crew – 103 Squadron – 1944
Gane was an airman of considerable experience having been a member of the Reserve of Air Force Officers pre war. His early war career is unknown but he must have already flown one tour as his stay with 103 was 20 ops
The Gane crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds from 11 Base HCU 31 May 1944
The crew consisted of :-
F/L V G Gane
Sgt E Cresswell
F/O G T Mortimore
Sgt R D Carpenter
Sgt J T Thompson
Sgt D J Sherry RCAF
Sgt S A Westcott
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The Gane crew the flew the following operations through the summer of 1944 :-
06-Jun-44 - Vire - Railway communications - Lancaster - JB746 - F/L VG Gane
09-Jun-44 - Flers - Airfield - Lancaster - ME799 - F/L VG Gane - Unable to identify target so brought back bombs
23-Jun-44 - Saintes - Railway yards - Lancaster - ME799 - F/L VG Gane
28-Jun-44 - Chateau Benapres - V weapon - Lancaster - ME799 - F/L VG Gane
30-Jun-44 - Oisemont Neuville au Bois - Army support - Lancaster - ME799 - F/L VG Gane
04-Jul-44 - Orleans-les-Aubrais - Railway yards - Lancaster - ME799 - F/L VG Gane
07-Jul-44 - Caen - Army support - Lancaster - ME799 - F/L VG Gane
12-Jul-44 - Revigny - Railway yards - Lancaster - ME799 - F/L VG Gane - Diverted due to rain and low cloud at base
18-Jul-44 - Scholven Buer - Oil - Lancaster - ME799 - F/L VG Gane
20-Jul-44 - Wizernes - V weapon - Lancaster - ME799 - F/L VG Gane
24-Jul-44 - Stuttgart - Point of Aim - Lancaster - ME799 - F/L VG Gane
25-Jul-44 - Bois-des-Jardine - V weapon - Lancaster - N/K - F/L VG Gane
10-Aug-44 - Dugny - Oil/Fuel - Lancaster - ME698 - F/L VG Gane
11-Aug-44 - Douai - Railway yards - Lancaster - ME698 - F/L VG Gane
12-Aug-44 - Brunswick - Point of Aim - Lancaster - ME698 - F/L VG Gane
14-Aug-44 - Fontaine-le-Pin - Army support - Lancaster - ME698 - F/L VG Gane
15-Aug-44 - Le Culot - Airfield - Lancaster - ND861 - F/L VG Gane
16-Aug-44 - Pomeranian Bay - Mine laying - Lancaster - LM682 - F/L VG Gane
25-Aug-44 - Russelheim - Factory - Lancaster - PD272 – S/L VG Gane
29-Aug-44 - Pomeranian Bay - Mine laying - Lancaster - PD272 – S/L VG Gane - Diverted to Lossiemouth due to low cloud and rain at base. Combat evaded. No damage
At this point Gane completed his second tour of 20 ops and was posted to 11 Base on the 20 September 1944 and was awarded a DFC later that year
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F/O G T Mortimer continued his tour with 103 Squadron and on the 29 November 1944 was the sole survivor of the crew of F/S Jackson Cooke CGM RCAF which were lost in a collision on a daylight operation to Dortmund. He broke his arm and sustained other injuries but survived as a POW
Sgt S A Westcott was killed on the 6 December 1944 whilst flying in the crew of F/O H W Johnson RCAF on a night operation to Leuna. He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial to the Missing
Compiled by David Fell.
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