LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Eric BREMNER
Service No: 426297
Born: Brisbane QLD, 25 October 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 July 1942
Unit: No. 61 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Coningsby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 61 Squadron Lancaster aircraft HK5380, Germany, 20 February 1944, Aged 21 Years
Buried: Hanover War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of David John and Mary Smeaton Bremner, of Enoggera, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Brisbane QLD
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 0019 hours on the morning of 20 February 1944 Lancaster HK538 took off from Coningsby detailed to bomb Leipzig, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A later report by a Missing Research and Enquiry Team stated “the aircraft was shot down by night fighters on the way to the target and crashed near Gifhorn, Hanover, Germany.”
Five crew members were killed and two became Prisoners of War.
The crew members of HK538 were:
Pilot Officer Eric Bremner (426297) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant David John Brewer (1874022) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Albert Alfred Pardoe (1316665) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant T F Preston (965739) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Flight Sergeant Kenneth Sims (1577750) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant L E Tozer (655959) (RAFVR) (Navigator) PoW
Flying Officer Hubert Wallis (155510) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
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, 166/6/428