Charles Edward ( Eddie ) Ansley DFC RNZAF and crew – 103 Squadron – 1945 - 422094
Eddie Ansley in flying kit
Eddie Ansley was born on 26th June 1915 in Brisbane Queensland Australia. His parents later returned with the family to live in Christchurch Canterbury New Zealand.
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He enlisted in the RNZAF and trained as follows :-
15th September 1942 - RNZAF No.3 Elementary Flying Training School Harewood Christchurch New Zealand.
27th January 1943 - No.7 S.F.T.S. MacLeod Canada. - Anson II.
1st September 1943 - No.1 B.A.S. Watchfield. - Oxford.
8th September 1943 - No.15 [P] A.F.U. Ramsbury Wiltshire England. - Oxford.
27th December 1943 - No.18 O.T.U. Bircotes,Yorkshire. - Wellington X and III.
15th April 1944 - No.1656 H.C.U. Lindholme Yorkshire. - Halifax III.
7th May 1944 - No.1 Lancaster Finishing School Hemswell Lincolnshire. - Lancaster I.
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Eddie Ansley - Studio portraits
13th May 1944
103 Squadron Elsham Wolds Lincolnshire. - Lancaster B III.
Arrived with 450 hours total flying time.
28-29th July 1944 participated in attack on Stuttgart. Awarded D.F.C.
596 hours 50 minutes total flying time.
Last 103 Squadron operation 12th August 1944.
Completed 31 operations.
Total operational 161.10 hours.
639 hours 15 minutes total flying time.
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On arrival at 103 Squadron RAF Elsham Wolds the crew consisted of :-
P/O C E Ansley RNZAF
Sgt A D Anderson,
F/O WL Parkin,
F/O R Walker
Sgt RT Davies
Sgt R Summers
Sgt J Green
Their tour was as follows :-
Ansley flew his first operation as Second Dickie / Co Pilot in the crew of F/L T G Leggett on the 21 / 22 May 1944 to Duisburg in Lancaster ND925.
He then captained his own crew on he following operations :-
03-Jun-44 - Wimereaux - Coastal gun batteries - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
05-Jun-44 - St-Martin-de-Varreville/Crisbec - Coastal gun batteries - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
06-Jun-44 - Vire - Railway communications - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
09-Jun-44 - Flers - Airfield - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
12-Jun-44 - Gelsenkirchen - Point of Aim - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
14-Jun-44 - Le Havre - Naval forces - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
16-Jun-44 - Sterkrade - Oil - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
17-Jun-44 - Aulnoye - Railway yards - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF - Ab Aborted by Master Bomber due to cloud cover over target. Jettisoned long delay bombs & returned to base
23-Jun-44 - Saintes - Railway yards - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
25-Jun-44 - Flers - V weapon - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
29-Jun-44 - Domleger - V weapon - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
30-Jun-44 - Oisemont Neuville au Bois - Army support - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
02-Jul-44 - Domleger - V weapon - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
04-Jul-44 - Orleans-les-Aubrais - Railway yards - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
05-Jul-44 - Dijon - Railway yards - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
07-Jul-44 - Caen - Army support - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
18-Jul-44 - Scholven Buer - Oil - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
20-Jul-44 - Wizernes - V weapon - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
23-Jul-44 - Kiel - Point of Aim - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
24-Jul-44 - Stuttgart - Point of Aim - Lancaster - LM132 - P/O CE Ansley RNZAF
25-Jul-44 - Bois-des-Jardine - V weapon - Lancaster - LM132 - F/O CE Ansley RNZAF
28-Jul-44 - Stuttgart - Point of Aim - Lancaster - LM132 - F/O CE Ansley RNZAF - Combat. Landed at base with damaged aircraft. Crew uninjured. Awarded DFC as a result of this operation. See citation below. P/O W Nixon flew as co-pilot on this operation.
30-Jul-44 - Foret-de-Nieppe - Army support - Lancaster - PB363 - F/O CE Ansley RNZAF
01-Aug-44 - Belle-Croix-Les-Bruyeres - V weapon - Lancaster - PB363 - F/O CE Ansley RNZAF -
03-Aug-44 - Troissy-St-Maximin - V weapon - Lancaster - PB363 - F/O CE Ansley RNZAF
04-Aug-44 - Pauillac - Oil - Lancaster - PB363 - F/O CE Ansley RNZAF
05-Aug-44 - Blaye - Oil - Lancaster - PB363 - F/O CE Ansley RNZAF - Base closed due to low cloud. Diverted to Ossington.
07-Aug-44 - Fontenay-le-Marmion - Army support - Lancaster - PB363 - F/O CE Ansley RNZAF
10-Aug-44 - Dugny - Oil/Fuel - Lancaster - PB363 - F/O CE Ansley RNZAF
12-Aug-44 - Brunswick - Point of Aim - Lancaster - PB363 - F/O CE Ansley RNZAF
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DFC Citation gazetted October 1944
"On the night of the 28th July, 1944, Acting Flying Officer Ansley piloted an aircraft detailed to attack Stuttgart. Some distance from the target his aircraft was attacked by an enemy fighter, his aircraft sustaining much damage. The starboard rudder control was smashed and the mainplane was damaged. Cooly and skilfully, Acting Flying Officer Ansley manoeuvred and his gunners were able to open fire from good positions. Their bullets struck the attacker, whose aircraft burst into flames, and fell out of control. A little later, another enemy aircraft closed in, but it was driven off. Acting Flying Officer Ansley then went on to the target and bombed it and afterwards flew his badly damaged plane back to his base. He has displayed great skill, courage and devotion to his duty."
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Eddie Ansley, 2nd from the right, with four comrades.
Further postings
29th September 1944 - No.11 O.T.U. Westcott and Oakley Buckinghamshire. - Wellington X.
27th April 1945 - No.3 F.I.S. Lulsgate Bottom Somerset. - Oxford.
22nd May 1944 - Certified as a Flying Instructor.
25th May 1945 - No.11 O.T.U. Westcott and Oakley Buckinghamshire. - Wellington X.
24th June 1945 last Wellington flight is the last Log Book entry.
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Eddie and Nola Ansley following DFC presentation 1945
On his return to New Zealand he married Nola in 1st December 1945.
They had a son Stephen in 1949 and a daughter Philippa in 1954.
Eddie and his younger brother Arthur owned and operated a Hairdresser and Tobacconist business in Christchurch City, until his unexpected death. Died 29 January 1966 in Dunedin Hospital Otago New Zealand.
Many thanks to Stephen Ansley for the content and photos.
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