LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Lionel George LAURIE
Service No: 426355
Born: Gympie QLD, 19 June 1920
Enlisted in the RAAF: 20 June 1942
Unit: No. 97 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Bourn
Died: Air Operations (No. 97 Squadron Lancaster aircraft KM346), over Germany, 29 January 1944, Aged 23 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Herbert James Laurie and Annie Laurie, of Gladstone West, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Emerald QLD
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
On the night of 28 January 1944 Lancaster KM346 took off from Bourn detailed to bomb Berlin. Owing to heavy icing at 16,000 feet it was found necessary to jettison 4 x 500lb bombs in order to get height, causing too much loss of time to reach the primary target, so Kiel was bombed as a last resort. Considerable heavy and light anti-aircraft fire and searchlights were encountered both north and west of the target, and the Rear Gunner was killed by severe shrapnel wounds in the head. The H2S 9radar), flaps, undercarriage, starboard outer engine and brake pressure system were severely damaged by anti-aircraft fire. The aircraft returned safely to base.
The crew members of KM346 were:
Flight Sergeant Royston George Davies (1315090) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner) Killed in an Aircraft Accident: 23 June 1944
Flight Sergeant Alfred Leonard Lambert (409318) (Air Bomber) Killed in an Aircraft Accident: 23 June 1944
Flight Sergeant Lionel George Laurie (426355) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Eric Henry Peace (1434302) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) Killed in an Aircraft Accident: 23 June 1944
Sergeant R F Smith (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Henry Stuart van Raalte (415220) (Pilot) Killed in an Aircraft Accident: 23 June 1944
Flying Officer David Gethin Williams (78568) (RAFVR) (Navigator) Killed in an Aircraft Accident: 23 June 1944
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, 166/24/371