Sgt Alexander Greig RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1942/43
Failed to Return – 3/4th March 1943 – Avro Lancaster I – W4788 – Op Hamburg
Alexander Greig and crew were amongst the first of the new Lancaster crews posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds in November 1942. They had a troubled tour blighted by technical issues. However this was not unusual at this time
02-Dec-42 – Frankfurt – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig - Early return - Turret unserviceable
06-Dec-42 – Mannheim – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig – Early return - Rear turret unserviceable
07-Dec-42 - Terschelling Gat/Frisian Islands – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig - Target illuminated by searchlight.
09-Dec-42 – Turin – Lancaster – W4821 – Sgt A Greig
20-Dec-42 – Duisburg – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig
21-Dec-42 – Munich – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig - Hit by flak. Port outer engine damaged, starboard trim burnt out. Crash-landed at Topcliffe
09-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig - Did not take off
11-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig
12-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig – Did not take off - Faults arising on running up engines.
13-Jan-43 - Essen – Lancaster – W4336 – Sgt A Greig - Combat. Attacked by Enemy aircraft. Dinghy became detached and wrapped round tail causing loss of control..
16-Jan-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig – Early return - Aircraft would not climb above 10,000 ft.
17-Jan-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4318 – Sgt A Greig - Diverted to Croft.
21-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig
30-Jan-43 – Hamburg – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig
02-Feb-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig – Starboard outer engine overheated whilst climbing so jettisoned some of his bombs.
04-Feb-43 – Turin – Lancaster – W4852 – Sgt A Greig
18-Feb-43 – Wilhelmshaven – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig
21-Feb-43 – Bremen – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig
25-Feb-43 – Nuremberg – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig
26-Feb-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig
28-Feb-43 - St Nazaire – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig
01-Mar-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4827 – Sgt A Greig
03-Mar-43 – Hamburg – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig - FTR - Crashed at Hohenaspe, Germany.
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Sgt Alexander Greig RAFVR – Pilot – 22 – 103 Sqn – Son of John and Margaret Esther Greig of Aberdeen - Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
F/S James Mead RAFVR – Pilot - 24 – 103 Sqn - Son of Henry and Louisa Maria Mead; husband of Patricia Mead of Tooting Bec, London - Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt David William Petch RAAF – Flight Engineer – 19 – 103 Sqn - Son of Alfred Guy and Mary Petch of Meribah, South Australia - Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Peter Bailey RAFVR – Observer - 21 – 103 Sqn - Son of William John and Sylvia Victoria Bailey, of Beaminster, Dorsetshire - Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
F/S John Campbell Paton RAFVR – Observer - 29 – 103 Sqn - Husband of Muriel Winifred Paton of Glasgow - Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Charles Victor Ellen RAFVR – Wireless operator / Air Gunner – 23 – 103 Sqn - Son of George Henry and Violet Beatrice Ellen of Norbury, Surrey - Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
Sgt Norman Frederick Trigg RAFVR – Air Gunner – 103 Sqn - Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
W/O David Wesley Lowther RCAF ( pictured above ) – Air Gunner - 28 – 103 Sqn - Son of Roy T. and Laura J. Lowther of Tuxford, Saskatchewan, Canada - Kiel War Cemetery, Germany.
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03-Mar-43 – Hamburg
103 Squadron detailed 11 aircraft for this attack on the German port of Hamburg. Although not concentrated the raid appears to have been quite a success. The defences were about as usual with many cones of searchlights and it is thought some of these may have been co-operating with enemy fighters as there were 6 or 7 sightings. S/L Kennard remained to do a “ recco “ and noted at least a dozen well established fires. Sgt A Greig and crew failed to return
For this attack on Hamburg Bomber Command detailed a total of 417 aircraft - 149 Lancasters, 123 Wellingtons, 83 Halifaxes, 62 Stirlings despatched with 10 aircraft - 4 Lancasters, 2 Wellingtons, 2 Halifaxes, 2 Stirlings - lost, 2.4 per cent of the force. Visibility was clear over the target but the Pathfinders made a mistake, possibly thinking that the H2S indications of mudbanks in the Elbe which had been uncovered by the low tides were sections of the Hamburg docks. Most of the Main Force bombing thus fell 13 miles downstream from the centre of Hamburg, around the small town of Wedel. Even so, a proportion of the bombing force did hit Hamburg which suffered 27 people killed and 95 injured and whose fire brigade had to put out 100 fires before devoting all its energies to helping the town of Wedel, which suffered so heavily. The damage at Wedel included a large naval-clothing store burnt out as well as several important industrial concerns destroyed in Wedel's harbour area and this illustrated another Bomber Command view: that bombing could usually be useful even if the wrong target was hit.
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Lancaster - W4788
02-Dec-42 – Frankfurt – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig - Early return - Turret unserviceable
06-Dec-42 – Mannheim – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig – Early return - Rear turret unserviceable
07-Dec-42 - Terschelling Gat/Frisian Islands – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig - Target illuminated by searchlight.
08-Dec-42 - Helsingborg/Kullen Sound – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt AS Cook RAAF - Hit by flak.
09-Dec-42 – Turin – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt CE Bayliss RAAF
20-Dec-42 – Duisburg – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig
21-Dec-42 – Munich – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig - Hit by flak. Port outer engine damaged, S trim burnt out. Crash-landed at Topcliffe
11-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4788 – F/S EH Burgess
16-Jan-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt SG Burton - Did not take off
23-Jan-43 – Dusseldorf – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt SG Burton
02-Feb-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig – Starboard outer engine overheated whilst climbing so jettisoned some of his bombs.
11-Feb-43 – Wilhelmshaven – Lancaster – W4788 – F/S WF Austin
26-Feb-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt GDJ King
28-Feb-43 - St Nazaire – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt GDJ King
01-Mar-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4788 – F/O KG Bickers
03-Mar-43 – Hamburg – Lancaster – W4788 – Sgt A Greig – FTR - Crashed at Hohenaspe, Germany.
Item compiled by David Fell. Photo courtesy of the Canadian Virtual War memorial
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