Short Stirling - LJ864 Help Needed!
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 10:03 am
Hi folks,
Had an email from a new member, Barry ............... regarding LK864 losted on the 23 July 1944.
I had a quick look through The Stirling Story volume and found serial numbers for LK864 only went up to LK624, so i had a look at the LJ series and found it there.
Details as listed ..........
LJ864 620 Sqn 7.2.44, Failed To Return 22.7.1944 ( typo on the 22, should read 23rd ............ no ops on the 22nd ) from SOE ( SOE operations - Operations under the control of the Special Operations Executive ) crashed at Brillac, France.
I've had a look through Chorleys RAF Losses 1944 but failed to find any details. If anyone can shed some light on this aircraft it would be appreciated.
John
Barry's email reads as such ............
Had an email from a new member, Barry ............... regarding LK864 losted on the 23 July 1944.
I had a quick look through The Stirling Story volume and found serial numbers for LK864 only went up to LK624, so i had a look at the LJ series and found it there.
Details as listed ..........
LJ864 620 Sqn 7.2.44, Failed To Return 22.7.1944 ( typo on the 22, should read 23rd ............ no ops on the 22nd ) from SOE ( SOE operations - Operations under the control of the Special Operations Executive ) crashed at Brillac, France.
I've had a look through Chorleys RAF Losses 1944 but failed to find any details. If anyone can shed some light on this aircraft it would be appreciated.
John
Barry's email reads as such ............
Hello John
You helped me before with a query and now I have another one - perhaps you
can help?
I live in France and today I visited a war grave of 6 crew members (2 RAF
and 4 Royal Canadian Air Force) of a Stirling - belonging to 620 squadron
that crashed near Brillac, Charente, France on the 23rd July 1944. I really
want to find some information about what happened - I've looked and found
very little -only a bit on a french site. It's not clear why the aircraft
crashed and why they were flying there. Were they on some sort of special
mission?
CARROTHERS ROBERT GEORGE
Canadian Flight Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Royal Canadian Air Force 620 (R.A.F.)
Sqdn Date of Death: 23/07/1944 Service No: R/197348 (5)
GALVON THOMAS MICHAEL
Canadian Flight Sergeant (Nav.) Royal Canadian Air Force 620 (R.A.F.) Sqdn
Age: 21 Date of Death: 23/07/1944 Service No: R/178884 (2)
HIGGINS LUKE ANTHONY
Canadian Flight Sergeant (Air Bomber) Royal Canadian Air Force 620 (R.A.F.)
Sqdn Age: 27 Date of Death: 23/07/1944 Service No: R/154170 (3)
MIDDLETON A S
United Kingdom Flying Officer (W.Op.) Royal Air Force 620 Sqdn. Age: 25
Date of Death: 23/07/1944 Service No: 53253 (4)
OKE ERNEST CAMERON
Canadian Flying Officer (Pilot) Royal Canadian Air Force 620 (R.A.F.) Sqdn
Age: 22 Date of Death: 23/07/1944 Service No: J/25965 (1)
WILKINS R A
United Kingdom Sergeant (Flt. Engr.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 620
Sqdn. Date of Death: 23/07/1944 Service No: 1818642 (6)
The nearest places they would have been bombing would have been Limoges or
Bordeaux - I don't think there would have been any flak or night fighters
anywhere near the place they crashed.
Any light you or any other members can shed on this for me, I'd be really
grateful. It seems there's a whole forgotten local story there and I want
to bring it to light if possible. Many thanks, Barry.