LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer George ELY
Service No: 409677
Born: Yarra Junction VIC, 25 July 1915
Enlisted in the RAAF: 10 October 1941
Unit: No. 57 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station East Kirkby
Died: Air Operations: (No. 57 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JB681), Germany, 3 January 1944, Aged 28 Years
Buried: Berlin 1939-1945 War Cemetery, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of George and Grace Ely, of Geelong, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 121, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 2323 hours on the night of 2 January 1944 Lancaster JB681 took off from East Kirkby detailed to bomb Berlin. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft crashed at Luhme a village in an area containing many lakes, some 10 kms north north west of Rheinberg, Germany. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of JB681 were:
Sergeant Alex William Charles Ball (1438060) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer George Ely (409677) (Pilot)
Sergeant Kenneth Horridge Harper (1678239) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Ronald William Homewood (1321438) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Samuel Lewis (1583580) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer George Franklin Nixon (J/24535) (RCAF) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Anthony Stopher Pilbeam (1853897) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper 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, 166/11/104