F/L Edwin Donald Smith RAFVR and crew – 576 Squadron - RAF Elsham Wolds – 1943/44
Failed to Return – 5/6th January 1944 – Lancaster III – DV333 – Op Stettin
Edwin Smith and his crew were amongst the new arrivals in December 1943 when 576 Squadron was formed. I know nothing of their background or from where they came. They completed 3 ops all to Berlin in December 1943 and were lost on their 4th op to Stettin on the 5/6th January 1944.
23/12/1943 - Berlin - DV333 - F/L ED Smith
29/12/1943 - Berlin - DV333 - F/L ED Smith
01/01/1944 - Berlin - LM438 - F/L ED Smith
05/01/1944 - Stettin - DV333 - F/L ED Smith - FTR
3 of this crew were killed and rest at the 1939-1945 Berlin War Cemetery, Germany. The remainder were POWs
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F/L Edwin Donald Smith RAFVR - Pilot - 27 - 576 Sqn - Son of Edwin Robert George Smith and Viola Miriam Smith of Kenton, Harrow, Middlesex - Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
Sgt P Kirkpatrick RAFVR - Second Pilot – 576 Sqn - POW – Camps 4B/L3 – POW No 269856
Sgt B Suffolk RAFVR - Flight Engineer - 576 Sqn - POW – Camps 4B/DL - POW No 269881
F/O SR Wilkins RAFVR - Air Bomber - 576 Sqn - POW – Camps L3 - POW No 3335.
P/O Kenneth Hubert Dearden Wilde RAFVR - Navigator - 576 Sqn - Son of Jean Wilde of Westminster, London - Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
W/O Frederick Albert Larsen RCAF ( See newspaper cutting below ) - Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 28 - 576 Sqn - Son of Frederick Halbert Larsen and Elna Larsen of Calgary Alberta, Canada; husband of Elizabeth Winnifred Larsen of Calgary - Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany.
F/S AR McAlhone RAFVR - Air Gunner - 576 Sqn - POW - Camps L1 – POW No 3826
Sgt Nelson Alexander Dixon RCAF ( pictured below ) - Air Gunner - 32 - 576 Sqn - Son of Alexander McIntosh Dixon and Theresa Maude Dixon of Indian Head, Saskatchewan, Canada - Berlin 1939-1945 War cemetery Germany.
Sgt Nelson Alexander Dixon RCAF
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Lancaster DV333
This Lancaster was one of the 103 Squadron C Flight machines which was transferred to 576 Squadron when the Squadron was formed. It had completed 2 ops with 103 Squadron by with F/S C E O'Neill who also moved to 576. Whilst with 576 Squadron it completed 4 more ops being lost on the 5th
103 Squadron Sorties
22-Nov-43 - Berlin - Lancaster - DV333 - F/S CE O'Neill
23-Nov-43 - Berlin - Lancaster - DV333 - F/S CE O'Neill – Did Not Take Off - Cancelled due to high winds which caused some aircraft to swing on take off
26-Nov-43 - Berlin - Lancaster - DV333 - F/S CE O'Neill - Hit by flak. Bomb bay and bomb doors damaged. Diverted to Middleton St George because of bad visibility at base
576 Squadron Sorties
02-Dec-1943 - Berlin - DV333 - F/S CE O'Neill
03-Dec-1943 - Leipzig - DV333 - F/O RR Leeder
23-Dec-1943 - Berlin - DV333 - F/L ED Smith
29-Dec-1943 - Berlin - DV333 - F/L ED Smith
05-Dec-1944 - Stettin - DV333 - F/L ED Smith - FTR
Item compiled by David Fell. Newspaper cutting and Dixon photo courtesy of the Canadian Virtual War Memorial
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