Sgt Leslie W Flowers RAFVR and crew – 103 Squadron - RAF Elsham Wolds – 1942
Crashed - 31st March 1942 – Vickers Wellington I – R1234 – Transit Flight.
Leslie Flowers was posted to 103 Squadron in early 1942 and was the regular co-pilot for Sgt J N Gilby from March 1942. He flew over 10 ops with Gilby up until the end of April 1942 so was quite experienced by this time.
A Maximum Effort was called for involving all Squadrons for the first Thousand Bomber Raid on Cologne on the night of the 30/31st May 1942. Flowers was made full captain for that night and took his own crew on this momentous operation which they completed successfully.
They took off from Elsham Wolds at 2330 and landed at Kirmington at 0500. I suspect this diversion to nearby Kirmington on return was because of the numbers of aircraft landing at Elsham Wolds around that time coming back from the raid which may well have included OTU aircraft for this operation. Flowers may have been short of fuel hence the short diversion.
Early in the morning of the 31st May 1942 this aircraft was airborne from Kirmington on a transit flight back to Elsham Wolds. On take off the port engine reduction gear failed, causing the propeller to come away. The aircraft stalled and crashed into the ground near the airfield. The only location I have is half a mile north west of Kirmington airfield which would be around the chalk quarry or a bit beyond. Other than that I cannot tell.
3 of the crew were killed and 2 injured.
Those killed were :-
Sgt Leslie William Flowers RAFVR – Pilot – 103 Sqn - Brigg Cemetery, North Lincolnshire.
Sgt Albert Allan Conisbee RAFVR – Observer – 30 – 103 Sqn - Son of George Joseph and Mabel Edith Conisbee, of Brockley, London; husband of Denise Conisbee, of Chelsea, London - Brigg Cemetery, North Lincolnshire.
Sgt Brian Clifford Slowly RAFVR – Wireless Operator/Air Gunner - 20 – 103 Sqn - Son of William Elias and Mary Ann Slowly, of Brighton – Brighton ( The Downs ) Cemetery, Sussex.
Also from this crew F/S N Ryder injured. Sgt E Robinson injured.
F/S N Ryder may be F/S S N Ryder killed on the 28th July 1942 in a training crash. Halifax W1218 Stockford.
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Wellington R1234
This machine had completed 14 ops with 3 Early Returns by the time it crashed.
22-Oct-41 – Mannheim – Wellington – R1234 – P/O BH Williams
03-Mar-42 – Paris – Wellington – R1234 – P/O BH Williams
08-Mar-42 – Essen – Wellington – R1234 – P/O BH Williams
09-Mar-42 – Essen – Wellington – R1234 – P/O BH Williams
12-Apr-42 – Essen – Wellington – R1234 – P/O JF Brookes
14-Apr-42 – Dortmund – Wellington – R1234 – Sgt GO John - Landed at Exeter
15-Apr-42 – Dortmund – Wellington – R1234 – P/O JH Gilby – Early return - Illness of rear gunner
18-Apr-42 – Hamburg – Wellington – R1234 – Sgt GO John - Port engine unserviceable. Jettisoned bombs. Engine picked up on return.
23-Apr-42 – Rostock – Wellington – R1234 – Sgt GO John – Early return - Rear turret unserviceable.
24-Apr-42 – Rostock – Wellington – R1234 – Sgt GO John
26-Apr-42 – Rostock – Wellington – R1234 – Sgt GO John
28-Apr-42 – Kiel – Wellington – R1234 – Sgt GO John
29-Apr-42 - Paris/ Gennevilliers – Wellington – R1234 – Sgt GO John
04-May-42 – Stuttgart – Wellington – R1234 – Sgt GO John - Took off late due to replacement of crew member because of sickness. Unable to reach primary by ETA. Bombed flak concentrations at Karlsruhe.
05-May-42 – Stuttgart – Wellington – R1234 – P/O KFJ Winchester – Early return - Excessive cylinder head temperature and wireless transmitter unserviceable.
08-May-42 – Warnemunde – Wellington – R1234 – Sgt GO John - Bombed target and attacked several search lights with machine guns at low level
30-May-42 – Cologne – Wellington – R1234 – Sgt LM Flowers - Landed at Kirmington on return
Item compiled and written by David Fell
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