LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Beverley Gordon LEE
Service No: 426753
Born: Mareeba QLD, 29 May 1913
Enlisted in the RAAF: 18 July 1942
Unit: No. 514 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Waterbeach
Died: Aircraft Accident: (No. 514 Squadron Lancaster aircraft PN178), Sussex, 30 June 1944, Aged 31 Years
Buried: Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Albert Y Gordon and Maude Catherine Lee; husband of G Madge Sylvester Lee, of Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Roll of Honour: Cairns QLD
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Brother of Flight Sergeant Desmond Maurice Lee (434687)
On 30 June 1944, Lancaster PB178 took off from Waterbeach detailed to bomb a key road junction at Villers-Bocage, France. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. At 1925 hours PB178 collided in the air with No. 15 Squadron (RAF) Lancaster aircraft ME695. PB178 dived away a few thousand feet and exploded in the air, and crashed at Pittsham Farm, near Midhurst in Sussex. Five of the crew members in PB178 were killed and two injured. The other aircraft landed safely and continued in service.
The crew members of PB178 were:
Sergeant B A Brown (1126909) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner) Injured
Sergeant T S Colbeck (R/118427) (RCAF) (Air Bomber) Injured
Sergeant Kenneth Edward Arthur Fox (2201592) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer Andrew Lorne George (J/89894) (RCAF) (Rear Gunner)
Pilot Officer Jack Edward Kristjan Hannesson (J/87269) (RCAF) (Pilot)
Flight Sergeant Beverley Gordon Lee (426753) (Navigator)
Sergeant Harry James Morgan (646014) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
A flying accident report stated that “Pilot Officer Hannesson was briefed to fly in No 2 position in the leading Vic of the 514 Squadron formation. The Squadron was leading the attack. Due to a late change in bomb load in PB178, Hannesson was detailed to take off at 1800 hours, but did not take off until 1818 hours. Due to the late take off Hannesson could not join his formation in the joining up area. Hannessonn therefore decided to fly above his briefed air speed in order to make up for loss of time.”
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, 166/24/490