LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant James Byrne LAKE
Service No: 424904
Born: Hurstville NSW, 6 June 1924
Enlisted in the RAAF: 9 October 1942
Unit: No. 550 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station North Killingholme
Died: Air Operations: (No. 550 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PD208), Northamptonshire, 14 August 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of James and Cecelia Lake, of South Hurstville, New South Wales. Australia
Roll of Honour: South Hurstville NSW
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Hurstville War Memorial, Hurstville NSW
Brother of Flight Sergeant Donald Carmichael Lake (421737)
At 1332 hours on the 14 August 1944, Lancaster PD208 took off from North Killingholme detailed to bomb Fountain-le-Pin, a strong point in the Normandy battle area. The aircraft was returning from the sortie, when it dived into the ground and burst into flames. All on board were killed. The aircraft crashed from about 4000 feet at 1702 hours near Wansford, some 7 miles west of Peterborough, Northamptonshire.
The crew members of PD208 were:
Sergeant Henry Hindle (2206229) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Flight Sergeant John Hough (1546277) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant James Byrne Lake (424904) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Edward Moody (1481555) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant George Alfred Thomson (1596065) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Sergeant Arthur William Tucker (1800484) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant Edward Walsh (651775) (RAF) (Mid Upper Gunner)
A report into the flying accident stated: “the Captain did not report that they were in trouble in any way, and he had an opportunity of landing at any available airfield between the south coast and Lincolnshire.”
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, 166/24/518
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line