LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant John William GRICE
Service No: 435168
Born: Charleville QLD, 12 February 1925
Enlisted in the RAAF: 26 March 1943
Unit: No. 103 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Elsham Wolds
Died: Air Operations: (No. 103 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PD272), Germany, 1 March 1945, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Durnbach War Cemetery, Bad Tolz, Bayern, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Elizabeth Ann Grice, of Sandgate, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Unknown
Remembered: Panel 123, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster PD272 took off from RAF Elsham Wolds at 1149 hours on 1 March 1945 detailed to bomb Mannheim, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. A Missing Research & Enquiry team reported “The aircraft crashed and exploded on impact in the vicinity of the Wieblingen-Plankstadt Bridge on 1 March 1945. Seven of the crew members were killed and one became a Prisoner of War.
The crew members of PD272 were:
Flying Officer Frederick John Brickman (153982) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Alan Joseph Crampin (1872283) (RAFVR) (Wireless Operator Air)
Flight Sergeant John William Grice (435168) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant R C Pain (1891992) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer) PoW
Pilot Officer John Montgomery Peace (190649) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant John Lorn Rochester (R/151349) (RCAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Flying Officer Alexander Stuart Thomson (182757) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant William Henry Tromp (1474794) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
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, 166/16/577
Bibliography:
Charlwood, D.E.C. (Donald Ernest Cameron) (408794) No Moon Tonight (Angus and Robertson 1956), Penguin Ringwood VIC, 3134, 1991