| Sergeant John
McLea was
serving as Rear Gunner on board Halifax
Mk.VII NP709 coded
OW-A during an operation to
Oberhausen on November 1/2, 1944. The aircraft left Linton-on-Ouse at
1744hrs and was shot down by a night fighter piloted by Lt.
Martin Tschiersch, the
entire crew was killed.
The crew consisted of:
|
Name |
Service |
Trade |
Hometown |
Age |
|
F/O William Anderson |
RCAF |
Pilot |
Toronto, Ontario |
21 |
|
Sgt James Langton |
RAFVR |
Flight Engineer |
Scotland |
20 |
|
F/O Gordon Mullin |
RCAF |
Navigator |
- |
- |
|
Sgt Cyril Goble |
RCAF |
Bomb Aimer |
Calgary, Alberta |
22 |
|
Sgt Thomas Edgell |
RAFVR |
W/Op/AG |
- |
22 |
|
F/Sgt Leslie Griffith |
RCAF |
Air Gunner |
- |
24 |
|
F/Sgt John McLea |
RCAF |
Air Gunner |
Hamilton, Ontario |
19 |
Sergeant
John McLea
was the son of William and Victoria May McLea of 11 Foster
Aveneue, Hamilton, Ontario.
A former sergeant with the 81st Squadron Air Cadets
of Canada; he also attended the Queen Victoria Public School
and the Hamilton Technical Institute. He went on to work at
Canadian Comstock in Welland before enlisting in the RCAF in
June 1943 and posting to England in March 1944.
A sister, Beatrice and brother William both also served with
the RCAF on the West Coast and
at
St.Thomas respectively.
Pilot William Anderson is
remembered on the Runnymede Memorial,
John McLea and the rest of
the crew are buried in the Rheinberg War Cemetery.
Photo courtesy of John McClenaghan, special thanks to Lisa Sharp, research by Linda Ibrom. |
