F/L Edward C Lee-Brown RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1943
Failed to Return – 13/14th April 1943 – Avro Lancaster I – W4828 – Op La Spezia
Edward Lee-Brown and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds from 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit on the 29th December 1942.
Their tour of 16 operations is shown below
04-Feb-43 – Lorient – Lancaster – W4828 – P/O EC Lee-Brown
18-Feb-43 – Wilhelmshaven – Lancaster – W4828 – F/O EC Lee-Brown
21-Feb-43 – Bremen – Lancaster – W4828 – F/O EC Lee-Brown
25-Feb-43 – Nuremberg – Lancaster – W4828 – P/O EC Lee-Brown
26-Feb-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4828 – P/O EC Lee-Brown – Early return - MU gunner became unconscious because of failure of oxygen.
08-Mar-43 – Nuremberg – Lancaster – W4828 – F/O EC Lee-Brown
09-Mar-43 – Munich – Lancaster – ED528 – F/O EC Lee-Brown
11-Mar-43 – Stuttgart – Lancaster – ED612 – F/O EC Lee-Brown
12-Mar-43 – Essen – Lancaster – ED612 – F/O EC Lee-Brown
27-Mar-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4828 – F/O EC Lee-Brown
29-Mar-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L EC Lee-Brown – Did not take off - Passed take off dead line after runway change.
03-Apr-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L EC Lee-Brown - Had to evade searchlights in the target area. Bombs fell short as a result.
04-Apr-43 – Kiel – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L EC Lee-Brown
08-Apr-43 – Duisburg – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L EC Lee-Brown
09-Apr-43 – Duisburg – Lancaster – ED612 – F/L EC Lee-Brown
13-Apr-43 - La Spezia – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L EC Lee-Brown – FTR - Crashed near Le Mans, France.
This crew were involved in an incident during a fighter affiliation demonstration in February when they were forced to bale out and S/L Stubbs DFC DFM was sadly killed.
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L to R Sgts Houliston and O’Brien
F/L Edward Claude Lee-Brown RAFVR – Pilot - 20 – 103 Sqn - Son of Samuel and Margaret Lee-Brown, of Highcliffe, Hampshire – Le Mans West Cemetery, France
Sgt George Watson Houliston RAFVR ( pictured above ) – Flight Engineer - 31 – 103 Sqn - Son of George and Mary Houliston, of Edinburgh; husband of Mary Houliston, Edinburgh
Sgt James Smart RAFVR – Navigator - 19 – 103 Sqn - Son of Frank Lawrence Smart, and of Violet Smart, of Westminster, London
F/S James Willis Toon RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Observer - 23 – 103 Sqn - Son of Alphaeus and Eleanor E. Toon, of Murrayville, British Columbia, Canada
F/S James Joseph O'Brien DFM RAF ( pictured above ) - Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 103 Sqn
Sgt Stanley Moseley RAFVR – Air Gunner - 20 - 103 Sqn - Son of Walter and Katherine Moseley, of Peckham, London
Sgt Andrew McKenzie Munn RAF – Air Gunner - 23 - 103 Sqn - Son of William L. Munn and Helen Munn, of Auchterarder, Perthshire
Sgt O'Brien was awarded the DFM whilst serving with 77 Squadron in 1940.
Sgt Moseley was a member of Neb Kujundzic's crew and baled out when that aircraft crashed near Peterborough and Kujundzic was killed.
F/S James Willis Toon RCAF
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13-Apr-43 - La Spezia
103 Squadron detailed 20 aircraft for this attack on the Italian port of La Spezia. The Pathfinders resorted to the old technique of lighting up the target with white flares so that the crews could pin point the target. Bombing height was between 7000 ft and 12000 ft. All crews were able to pin point and bomb the markers. Fires were concentrated with several large explosions and it was thought the attack was most successful. Three aircraft returned early due to mechanical issues. Another, Sgt Stoneman and crew, ditched in the Channel on return and F/L Lee-Brown and crew failed to return. W/C Carter returned to base but all other crews landed at Westcott, Tangmere, Wyton, Exeter or Middle Wallop
208 Lancasters and 3 Halifaxes bombed the dock area of La Spezia and caused heavy damage. 4 Lancasters were lost and 3 more, either damaged or in mechanical difficulty, flew on to land at Allied airfields in North Africa. It is believed that this was the first occasion that the recently captured North African airfields were used for Bomber Command aircraft in distress. The 3 Lancasters flew back to England later.
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Lancaster – W4828
This machine was lost on its 21st operation.
11-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L RK Kitney – Early return – Port outer engine overheating and tail trimmer iced up
12-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L RK Kitney – Did not take off - Faults arising on running up engines
13-Jan-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L RK Kitney – Early return - Rear gunner unconscious through lack of oxygen.
16-Jan-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L RK Kitney
17-Jan-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L RK Kitney - Late take off. Bombed Hamburg from 5,000ft. Diverted to Linton.
27-Jan-43 – Dusseldorf – Lancaster – W4828 – S/L JH Kennard
30-Jan-43 – Hamburg – Lancaster – W4828 – W/C RAC Carter - Undertook Sq reconnaissance over target
04-Feb-43 – Lorient – Lancaster – W4828 – P/O EC Lee-Brown
18-Feb-43 – Wilhelmshaven – Lancaster – W4828 – F/O EC Lee-Brown
21-Feb-43 – Bremen – Lancaster – W4828 – F/O EC Lee-Brown
25-Feb-43 – Nuremberg – Lancaster – W4828 – P/O EC Lee-Brown
26-Feb-43 – Cologne – Lancaster – W4828 – P/O EC Lee-Brown – Early return - MU gunner became unconscious because of failure of oxygen.
28-Feb-43 - St Nazaire – Lancaster – W4828 – P/O CR Blumenauer - Undertook Sq reconnaissance over target
05-Mar-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4828 – F/S JV Roper
08-Mar-43 – Nuremberg – Lancaster – W4828 – F/O EC Lee-Brown
27-Mar-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4828 – F/O EC Lee-Brown
29-Mar-43 – Berlin – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L EC Lee-Brown – DNTO - Passed take off dead line after runway change.
03-Apr-43 – Essen – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L EC Lee-Brown - Had to evade searchlights in the target area. Bombs fell short as a result.
04-Apr-43 – Kiel – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L EC Lee-Brown
08-Apr-43 - Duisburg – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L EC Lee-Brown
13-Apr-43 - La Spezia – Lancaster – W4828 – F/L EC Lee-Brown – FTR - Crashed near Le Mans, France.
Item compiled by David Fell with photos from my archive. Toon photo courtesy of the Canadian Virtual War Museum
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