F/O Joseph L Avon RCAF and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1944
Failed to Return – 31st July 1944 – Avro Lancaster III – JB746 – Op Le Havre
Joseph Avon ( Pictured above ) and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wold sin early July 1944
23-Jul-44 - Kiel - Lancaster – JB655 - F/O JG Avon RCAF
24-Jul-44 – Stuttgart - Lancaster – PB147 - F/O JG Avon RCAF
25-Jul-44 - Bois-des-Jardine Lancaster – N/K - F/O JG Avon RCAF
28-Jul-44 – Stuttgart - Lancaster – JB746 - F/O JG Avon RCAF
30-Jul-44 – Foret-de-Nieppe - Lancaster – JB746 - F/O JG Avon RCAF
31-Jul-44 - Le Havre - Lancaster – JB746 - F/O JG Avon RCAF – FTR - Flak victim. Direct hit blew wing off. Crashed in France.
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F/O Joseph Leonidas Avon RCAF – Pilot - 23 – 103 Sqn - Son of Leo and Catherine Avon, of Lachine, Province of Quebec, Canada - Ste Marie Cemetery, France
Sgt Leslie Henderson RAFVR – Flight Engineer - 103 Sqn - Ste Marie Cemetery, France
F/S W L Morneau RCAF - 103 Sqn – POW – Camp L7 – POW No 610
F/O K Norris RCAF - 103 Sqn – POW – Camp L3 – POW No 7354
F/S George Roughton Carver Gilroy Adams RAFVR – Wireless Operator - 103 Sqn - Ste Marie Cemetery, France
Sgt George Robert Carr RAFVR – Air Gunner - 20 - 103 Sqn - Son of Alexander Robert and Annie Ethel Carr of Gateshead, Co. Durham - Ste Marie Cemetery, France
Sgt Donald Fraser Enright RCAF ( pictured below ) – Air Gunner - 103 Sqn - Ste Marie Cemetery, France
Sgt Donald Fraser Enright RCAF
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31-Jul-44 - Le Havre
103 Squadron detailed 9 aircraft for this attack on the French port of Le Havre. Weather for take off was excellent and continued for the whole trip. The target area was clear and all crews bombed visually with it is believed excellent results. Many sticks were seen bursting right across the aiming point. Bombing was from between 13000 ft to 14000 ft. Flak over the target was moderate and concentrated chiefly on the machines over the aiming point and was considered accurate. F/O Avon and crew are missing from this operation and F/O Furlong saw his machine hit by flak, catch fire one wing come off and explode. Two parachutes were seen. All other aircraft returned to base.
For this attack on the French port of Le Havre Bomber Command detailed a total of 52 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitos of Nos 1 and 8 Groups but the target soon became smoke-covered and results were uncertain, though one U-boat was believed to have been hit. 1 Lancaster lost.
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Lancaster – JB746
This machine had given excellent service and was the top scoring 103 Squadron machine lost so far. It was lost on its 59th operation the first being with F/S H T Griffin back in Dec 1943. See below :-
02-Dec-43 – Berlin - Lancaster – JB746 – F/S HT Griffin
Compiled by David Fell
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