F/L Alan P Forbes RCAF and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1944
Failed to Return – 29/30 August 1944 – Avro Lancaster III – PB365 – Op Stettin
Alan Forbes ( pictured above ) and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds from Heavy Conversion Unit 11 Base on the 25th May 1944. Sadly this experienced and capable crew were lost on their 29th and penultimate operation :-
12-Jun-44 - Gelsenkirchen - Lancaster – NE117 – P/O AP Forbes RCAF
14-Jun-44 - Le Havre - Lancaster – NE117 – P/O AP Forbes RCAF
16-Jun-44 - Sterkrade - Lancaster – NE117 – P/O AP Forbes RCAF
17-Jun-44 - Aulnoye - Lancaster – NE117 – P/O AP Forbes 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 - LM124 – P/O AP Forbes RCAF
29-Jun-44 - Domleger - Lancaster – LM124 – P/O AP Forbes RCAF
30-Jun-44 - Oisemont Neuville au Bois - Lancaster – LM124 – P/O AP Forbes RCAF
02-Jul-44 - Domleger - Lancaster – LM124 – P/O AP Forbes RCAF
05-Jul-44 - Dijon - Lancaster – LM124 – F/O AP Forbes RCAF
07-Jul-44 - Caen - Lancaster – N/K – F/O AP Forbes RCAF
12-Jul-44 - Revigny - Lancaster – ND903 – F/O AP Forbes RCAF - Diverted due to rain and low cloud at base
14-Jul-44 - Revigny - Lancaster – ND903 – F/O AP Forbes RCAF - Aborted by Master Bomber due to cloud cover over target. Jettisoned long delay bombs & returned to base
17-Jul-44 – Sanneville - Lancaster – ND903 – F/O AP Forbes RCAF
18-Jul-44 - Scholven Buer - Lancaster – ND903 – F/O AP Forbes RCAF
20-Jul-44 - Wizernes - Lancaster – ND903 – F/O AP Forbes RCAF
23-Jul-44 - Kiel - Lancaster – ND903 – F/O AP Forbes RCAF
24-Jul-44 - Stuttgart - Lancaster – ND903 – F/O AP Forbes RCAF
07-Aug-44 - Fontenay-le-Marmion - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF -Landed at Barfort St John as his wireless transmitter was unserviceable.
10-Aug-44 - Dugny - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
11-Aug-44 - Douai - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
12-Aug-44 - Bordeaux - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
14-Aug-44 - Fontaine-le-Pin - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
15-Aug-44 - Le Culot - Lancaster – ND381 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
25-Aug-44 - Russelheim - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
26-Aug-44 - Kiel - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
29-Aug-44 - Stettin - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF - FTR
Hit by 2,3 & 6/schw Flak Abt 616, Schw Hei. Flak battery 200/III 201/III and 210/III. Crashed at Turnerstrabe 43 near Railway Station Stettin/Torney at 02:07.
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F/L Allan Patrick Forbes RCAF – Pilot - 21 – 103 Sqn - Son of George B. Forbes and Minnie May Forbes of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada - Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland
Sgt Eric Hartley Gordon Jackson RAFVR – Flight Engineer - 20 - 103 Sqn - Son of Ernest and Christina Jackson, of Altofts, Normanton, Yorkshire - Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland
F/O Ben Ingard Kalheim RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Bomber - 24 - 103 Sqn - Son of Christian Kalheim and of Borghild Kalheim of Sullivan Station, British Columbia, Canada - Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland.
F/S Thomas William Ferguson RAFVR – Navigator - 28 - 103 Sqn - Son of Thomas William and Ethel Mary Ferguson; husband of Kathleen F. L. Ferguson of Bebington, Cheshire - Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland
F/O Leslie Harry Simpson RAFVR – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 23 - 103 Sqn - Son of Leonard and Emily Simpson of Thornton, Blackpool, Lancashire - Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland
F/O Norman John Stronell RAFVR – Air Gunner - 27 - 103 Sqn - Son of Arthur James Stronell and Elizabeth Stronell of Luton, Bedfordshire - Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland
F/S Thomas Andrew Purvis RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Gunner - 19 - 103 Sqn - Toronto, Ontario, Canada - Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland
F/O Theodore Gorak RCAF ( pictured below ) – Second Pilot - 24 - 103 Sqn - 103 Sqn - Son of Joseph and Sophia Gorak of USA - Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery, Poland
F/L Allan Patrick Forbes RCAF
F/O Ben Ingard Kalheim RCAF
F/S Thomas Andrew Purvis RCAF
F/O Theodore Gorak RCAF
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29-Aug-44 - Stettin
103 Squadron detailed 17 aircraft for this attack on Stettin. All took off in poor weather with much low cloud and this persisted along most of the route. Until near the target which itself was quite clear. The target indicators were seen by most crews and it is believed were well placed and the bombing was concentrated around these. But as usual with incendiary loads the concentration tended to creep back as the attack progressed. Bombing was from between 16000 ft to 17000 ft. Defences consisted of a moderate heavy flak barrage with plenty of searchlight coning. There was a lot of fighter activity in some cases this extended to the Dutch coast. On the whole it was considered quite a successful attack. S/L Gane and P/O Sutton were attacked by fighters but were successful in evading without loss or damage. F/L Forbes and F/O Nixon are missing from this operation. All other aircraft returned and landed safely at base.
For this attack on the port of Stettin Bomber Command detailed a total of 402 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito of Nos 1,3, 6 and 8 Groups ordered to Stettin. 23 Lancasters lost, 5.7 per cent of the force. This was a successful raid, hitting parts of Stettin which had escaped damage in previous attacks.
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Lancaster - PB365
This machine was lost on its 17th operation. See below :-
20-Jul-44 - Wizernes - Lancaster - PB365 – F/O R Armstrong
25-Jul-44 - Stuttgart - Lancaster - PB365 – F/O R Armstrong
31-Jul-44 - Le Havre - Lancaster - PB365 – Sgt DA March RCAF
01-Aug-44 - Belle-Croix-Les-Bruyeres - Lancaster - PB365 – P/O RG Farris RCAF
03-Aug-44 - Trossy-St-Maximin - Lancaster - PB365 – F/O GR Haldane RCAF
04-Aug-44 - Pauillac - Lancaster - PB365 – F/O GR Haldane RCAF
05-Aug-44 - Blaye - Lancaster - PB365 – Sgt DA March RCAF - Base closed due to low cloud. Diverted to Ossington.
07-Aug-44 - Fontenay-le-Marmion - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF - Landed at Barfort St John as his wireless transmitter was unserviceable.
10-Aug-44 - Dugny - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
11-Aug-44 - Douai - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
12-Aug-44 - Bordeaux - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
14-Aug-44 - Fontaine-le-Pin - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
15-Aug-44 - Le Culot - Lancaster - PB365 – F/O JO Birch RCAF
18-Aug-44 - Ertvelde Rieme - Lancaster - PB365 – G/C WC Sheen
25-Aug-44 - Russelheim - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
26-Aug-44 - Kiel - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF
29-Aug-44 - Stettin - Lancaster - PB365 – F/L AP Forbes RCAF - FTR - Probably crashed near target
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F/L Allan Patrick Forbes RCAF
Pat, as he was known to his family and friends, was born on March 17th, 1923. This St. Patrick’s Day, Pat would’ve turned 100. But it was not to be as Pat was killed flying a bombing mission over Stettin Germany in 1944. His story like so many others who stepped up in World War II is one of honour, bravery and determination.
Moosejaw Today News Website
Graduating from Mortlach High in 1940, Pat worked in Moose Jaw, then Victoria, before enlisting in the Air Force in 1942. He obtained his Wings at Yorkton. From there he was posted in the fall of 1943 to No. 103 Squadron in England.
Pat flew 28 sorties over the summer of 1944. Two of Pat’s most extraordinary missions included his mission over Stuttgart Germany when 614 RAF bombers bombed the city in one night. The next night the RAF returned with 550 bombers annihilating the city centre with the most damaging attack against Stuttgart of the war. Among the dozens of buildings destroyed was the city’s Nazi Party headquarters.
Pat’s last mission was on August 29th, 1944, over Stettin, Germany. Stettin was vital in Germany’s infrastructure especially for weapons manufacturing. Many of the Lancasters were in the air for over 12 hours. The city was saturated with over 1200 tons of high explosives and incendiary bombs, including many 8000 pounders that night.
The Forbes family became aware of Pat’s failure to return in September. The next year, they received Pat’s Operational Wings and a certificate recognizing Pat’s “gallant services”. The Forbes family later learned that a communal grave was found near Stettin and it contained Pat’s remains. Pat was re-interred in the permanent British military cemetery at Poznan, Western Poland.
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F/O Theodore Gorak RCAF
Ted joined the RCAF in March 1942, 4 months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. He may have joined the RCAF because he wanted to be a pilot and knew there was no chance of him becoming a Pilot in the United States military
The initial qualification for pilot training in the Unites States Army Air Force was to have graduated from a College or University. The RCAF had no such regulation.
An alternate reason for joining the RCAF is that Ted may have been living with his Aunt and Uncle, of Martin and Anne Sabola, in Hagersville, Haldimand County, Ontario. His aunt and uncle had moved to Canada from Ohio and settled in Hagersville, Ontario some time in the 1920s.
Sgt Ignatius Joseph Gorak, - ( Brother of the above )
Sgt Ignatius Joseph Gorak, 352361; 727 North Park Street, Alliance, Ohio; 2nd Raider Battalion (Company H), born 1924 at Bergholz, Jefferson County, Ohio, USA. (Raider Battalions Were Special Forces)
Sgt. Gorak died November 8, 1943, Bougainville (North Solomons), Papua New Guinea and is buried in the Manila, Capital District, National Capital Region Cemetery, Philippines.
Sgt. Gorak was wounded and died fighting the Japanese on the Numa Numa-Piva Trail, Bougainville, North Solomon Islands.
The Battle of Numa-Numa Trail is also known as the Battle of Piva Forks. After the 3rd Marine Division landed at Cape Torkina an advance team went over land toward the Piva Trail but was turned back by the Japanese. It is believed Sergeant Ignatius Joseph Gorak was killed in this operation.
For his actions he was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the third highest award for gallantry.
Next of kin – Father Mr. Joseph Gorak, 727 North Park Avenue, Alliance, Ohio
Citation
“Silver Star: The President of the United States of America takes pride in presenting the Silver Star (Posthumously) to Sergeant Ignatius Joseph Gorak (MCSN: 352361), United States Marine Corps, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action while serving with the Second Marine Raider Battalion during an attack along the Numa Numa-Piva trail, Bougainville Island, British Solomon Islands on November 7, 1943. Skillfully maneuvering the machine-gun section under his command for maximum striking power, Sergeant Gorak led his men through difficult jungle terrain and, despite heavy enemy automatic weapons fire, assisted materially in the progress of the assault. Although suffering from fatal wounds in the hip and stomach, he steadfastly continued to direct the fire of his guns, preventing the Japanese from penetrating the lines of his company. Sergeant Gorak's brilliant leadership and heroic devotion to duty were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.”
Item compiled by David Fell with photos from the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. Thanks to John Jones for the photo of Purvis and background info. Also the Moosejaw Today News website.
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