P/O John A Harrison RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1944
Failed to Return – 12/13th July 1944 – Avro Lancaster III – PA999 – Op Revigny
John Harrison and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds from Heavy Conversion Unit 11 Base on the 6th June 1944. They were lost on their 8th operation. See below :-
22-Jun-44 - Mimoyecques - Lancaster - PB147 – P/O JA Harrison
25-Jun-44 - Flers - Lancaster - PB147 – P/O JA Harrison
28-Jun-44 - Chateau Benapres - Lancaster - LM177 - P/O JA Harrison
29-Jun-44 - Domleger - Lancaster - LM177 - P/O JA Harrison
30-Jun-44 - Oisemont Neuville au Bois - Lancaster - LM177 - P/O JA Harrison
02-Jul-44 - Domleger - Lancaster - LM177 - P/O JA Harrison - Hit by flak homebound. Rear gunner killed and Air Bomber wounded
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Sgt Clifford Clarke Kinvig RAFVR - Air Gunner - 22 - 103 Sqn - Son of John Fletcher Kinvig and Esther Mary Kinvig of Douglas, Isle of Man - Douglas Cemetery, Isle of Man.
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07-Jul-44 - Caen - Lancaster - LM177 - P/O JA Harrison
12-Jul-44 - Revigny - Lancaster - PA999 - P/O JA Harrison - FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed near Veel, France
Shot down by a night fighter, possibly that flown by Fw Ernst Reitmeyer (1/NJG5), and crashed 01:15 near Veel (Meuse), 4 km west of Bar-le-Duc.
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P/O John Albert Harrison RAFVR – Pilot - 22 - 103 Sqn - Son of Archer Thomas Harrison and Charlotte Harrison of Haverton Hill, Co. Durham - Veel Churchyard, France
Sgt Henry Howard Howles RAFVR - 19 - 103 Sqn - Son of Herbert and Lucy Howles, of Bearwood, Smethwick, Staffordshire - Veel Churchyard, France
F/S R E Greenwood RAFVR - 103 Sqn -Evader
F/O Arthur James Faulkner RCAF ( pictured below ) - 21 - 103 Sqn - Son of Arthur James Faulkner and Eva Ruth Faulkner of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada - Veel Churchyard, France
Sgt Joseph Martin Mitchinson RAFVR - ( pictured below ) – Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - 21 - 103 Sqn - Son of John and Phyllis Mitchinson of Morpeth, Northumberland - Veel Churchyard, France
Sgt Leo Patrick Whelan RAFVR – Air Gunner - 20 - 103 Sqn - Son of Laurence and Agnes Whelan of Marino, Co. Dublin, Republic of Ireland - Veel Churchyard, France
F/S Francis William Bull RAFVR – Air Gunner – 103 Sqn - Veel Churchyard, France
F/O Arthur James Faulkner RCAF
Sgt Joseph Martin Mitchinson RAFVR
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12-Jul-44 - Revigny
103 Squadron detailed 19 aircraft for this attack on the marshalling yards at Revigny France. Weather for take off was fair, 5/10ths cloud, and for the route it was good. Over the target area it was covered with cloud and in the resultant mix up some crews bombed the glow of markers while other brought their bombs back. The Master Bomber was very poor and indistinct and all round it was a poor attack. 8 crews bombed from 2500 ft to 8000 ft. Some flak was encountered in the target area but most of our losses were thought to be due to collision rather than fighters as the assembly point was marked but the whole area was covered with cloud. On return to base the weather had closed down and all machines had to be diverted due to lack of fuel. P/O Durrant had to bale out on orders from Carnaby due to lack of fuel. Three other machines are missing. :- P/O Harrison, F/O Abbott and F/O Phillips.
Bomber Command detailed a total of 378 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitos of Nos 1, 5 and 8 Groups for this attack on railway targets at Culmont, Revigny and Tours. Culmont and Tours were accurately bombed but cloud interfered with the all-No 1 Group raid at Revigny and only half of the force bombed. 10 Lancasters were lost on the Revigny raid and 2 on the Culmont raid.
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Lancaster - PA999
This machine was lost on its 19th operation most of these were flown with F/O R Armstrong and crew. See below:-
03-Jun-44 - Wimereaux - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
05-Jun-44 - St-Martin-de-Varreville/Crisbec - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
06-Jun-44 - Vire - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
09-Jun-44 - Flers – Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
12-Jun-44 - Gelsenkirchen - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
14-Jun-44 - Le Havre - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
16-Jun-44 - Sterkrade - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
17-Jun-44 - Aulnoye - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
22-Jun-44 - Mimoyecques - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
23-Jun-44 - Saintes - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
25-Jun-44 - Flers - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
28-Jun-44 - Chateau Benapres - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
29-Jun-44 - Domleger - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
30-Jun-44 - Oisemont Neuville au Bois - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O PJ Abbott
02-Jul-44 - Domleger - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
04-Jul-44 - Orleans-les-Aubrais - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
05-Jul-44 - Dijon - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
07-Jul-44 - Caen - Lancaster - PA999 - F/O R Armstrong
12-Jul-44 - Revigny - Lancaster - PA999 - P/O JA Harrison – FTR - Night fighter victim. Crashed near Veel, France.
Item compiled by David Fell
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