LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Lawrence James PRINGLE
Service No: 409592
Born: Auburn VIC, 17 December 1922
Enlisted in the RAAF: 12 September 1941
Unit: No. 76 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Holme-on-Spalding Moor
Died: Air Operations: (No. 76 Squadron Halifax aircraft LK664), Germany, 22 October 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Hanover War Cemetery, Hanover, Niedersachsen, Germany
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Leslie James Pringle and Zoe Roberta Pringle, of Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
Roll of Honour: Heidelberg VIC
Remembered: Panel 129, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
At 1731 hours on the night of 22 October 1943Halifax LK664 took off from Holme-on-Spalding Moor, detailed to bomb Kassel, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. LK664 crashed at Welda which is 5 kms south west of Warburg, Germany, and 31kms north west of Kassel. All the crew members were killed.
The crew members of LK664 were:
Pilot Officer Alfred Vernon Cecil Barden (157645) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Warrant Officer Ian Harold Blackburn (655425) (RAFVR) (Second Pilot)
Sergeant Leonard Thomas Brawn (1380936) (RAFVR) (Mid Upper Gunner)
Lieutenant Lief Eric Woodrow Hulthin (439) (RN(Norwegian)AF) (Pilot)
Sergeant Raymond John Kellett Machan (1604641) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer Cyril Marshall Murfitt (157628) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Lawrence James Pringle (409592) (Tail Gunner)
Sergeant Frederick Southern (1127777) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air 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, 166/33/38
Bibliography:
Chorley W R, To See the Dawn Breaking: 76 Squadron Operations, W R Chorley Devon UK, 1981