LEST WE FORGET

Flight Sergeant Ivor Frederick CHALMERS

Service No: 414465
Born: Brisbane QLD, 19 October 1911
Enlisted in the RAAF: 11 October 1941
Unit: No. 207 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Spilsby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 207 Squadron Lancaster aircraft LM366), Germany, 29 January 1944, Aged 32 Years
Buried: Berlin1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Alexander and Emily Mary Chalmers, of Samford, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: North Tamborine QLD
Remembered: Panel 120, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT

At 0003 hours on the morning of 29 January 1944 Lancaster LM366 took off from Spilsby detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. It was believed that the aircraft crashed at Reichenwalde, 4kms east north east of Storkow. Seven of the crew members were killed and one was a Prisoner of War. The remains of three members were recovered and the other five are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

The crew members of LM366 were:

Flight Sergeant Ivor Frederick Chalmers (414465) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant L A Croston (1208946) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air) PoW
Sergeant Robert Hughes (1451198) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Ivor Mitchell (134693) (RAFVR) (First Navigator)
Sergeant John Patrick Rothera (1578477) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Lieutenant John Gordon Taylor (135702) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Donald Arthur Turner (1394543) (RAFVR) (Second Navigator)
Sergeant Thomas Fowler Westmoreland (2200207) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)

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, 166/7/405

Book Now Book Now