LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Peter Reginald QUANCE
Service No: 411378
Born: Birmingham, England, 5 May 1921
Enlisted in the RAAF: 28 April 1941 (at Sydney NSW)
Unit: No. 408 Squadron (RCAF)
Died: Air Operations: (No. 408 Squadron Halifax aircraft JD107), France, 20 June 1943, Aged 22 Years
Buried: Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery, France
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Reginald William and Barbara Hildebert Quance, of West Ryde, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 133, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2159 hours on the night of 19 June 1943, Halifax JD107 took off to carry out bombing operations over Le Creusot, France. The aircraft was due to return to base at 0527 hours on the 20 June 1943, but nothing was heard from the plane and it failed to return. The aircraft was shot down by night fighters near Caen, France, on the 20 June 1943. The aircraft crashed with the crew on board, four of whom were killed. The injured went into the Hospital at Caen.
The crew members of JD107 were:
Sergeant Harold Allan Brown (R/120948) (RCAF) (Air Gunner) PoW
Pilot Officer James Denholm (157440) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Douglas Carter Horner (J/17468) (RCAF) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Peter Reginald Quance (411378) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Richard Anthony Symes BEM (141129) (RAFVR) (Pilot) Injured, PoW
Flight Lieutenant Max Samuels (J/17087) (RCAF) (Wireless Air Gunner)
References:
Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour On-Line Records (RAAF Casualty Information compiled by Alan Storr (409804))
Commonwealth War Graves Commission On-Line Records
Department of Veterans’ Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/34/2