The sad end of Flight LM311

[Simpo Two]

Tracking down an ancestor in the same squadron I came across this:

http://tinyurl.com/842efta

[anonymous-user]

The "yoof" of today, who moan that they haven't got the latest Ipod or widescreen telly should be shown the picture of the crew and told their story. It kinda puts our lives in perspective doesn't it.



467 ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE SQUADRON BOTTESFORD 3RD APRIL TO 13TH JULY 1943

Back row left to right:-
Sgt. Norman C. Smith (1348535 Air Bomber - Aged 21)
Sgt. Jack Greenwood (980381 Flight Engineer - Aged 25)
Sgt. William S. Buchanan (1372826 Air Gunner - Aged 20)

Front row left to right:-
Sgt. Patrick Donlevy (1369188 Wireless Op.- Aged 19)
Sgt. Albert E. Micheals (1551320 Navigator - Aged 21)
Sgt. Cedric A. Chapman (415117 Pilot - Aged 20)
Sgt. William Bruce (967187 Air Gunner - Aged 20)

[brenflys777]

OP -Thanks for posting that link, one of my great Uncles died coming back from a raid on Milan in a Lancaster and the description of 'L' for Lucy was deeply touching. It has prompted me to research our history a little further.

As the pilot had deviated from pedantry in naming the aircraft Lucy not the correct phonetic, I can only assume he would indeed be laughing at how 'silly' some people can be


Edit - the second comment above was prompted by comments from other posters which have since been removed.

Edited by brenflys777 on Monday 19th March 23:08

[Eric Mc]

It just gave the wrong tone to the article - in my opinion.

I've read thousands of articles about WW2 missions and lost crews and not one ever carried as silly a title as that.
Military aircraft don't go on "Flights". Airliners do. Military aircraft go on "Operations", Missions" or "Sorties".

And the don't call the "Sortie" after their own serial number.

And of course lots of aircarft in WW2 were personalised with names which had nothing to do with "call signs", codes or serials.

[dr_gn]

It seems a well enough researched and written piece to me. You shouldn't judge a book by it's cover (or perhaps an article by it's title?).

The guy appears to be an amateur local historian...in this case where he obviously didn't realise his error. Maybe give him a bit of slack?

[Waynester]

Stories like this always...always leave me humbled. The courage of these chaps, to give their lives so freely so that we may live ours is beyond words.

My Grandads brother flew Lancasters during the war. He was killed & with him his crew except the tail gunner who survived & who wrote a moving letter to his family.
My uncles Lancaster crashed on landing after a raid. He was 23.

[Burnedout]

467 RAAF is very well known and remembered out here.

[Simpo Two]

Burnedout said:

467 RAAF is very well known and remembered out here.

My ancestor was John Graydon Simpson DFC RAFVR.

From the London Gazette we have:

28 June 1943: 926079 Sergeant John Graydon Simpson promoted to probationary Pilot Officer (149147).

Feb 1944: Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to Flying Officer John Graydon Simpson (149147), Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, No. 467 (R.A.A.F) Squadron


I presume that as he had a DFC he was a pilot, and that as 467 flew Lancs at the time he was a Lancaster pilot, but stand to be corrected.

If anyone knows any more about him I'd be very grateful for any info