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Flying Officer Desmond
Freeman was piloting Lancaster Mk.I NF914 coded QR-T during an
operation to bomb enemy
strong points in Calais
on September 24, 1944.
The
aircraft left Skellingthorpe at 1722hrs and was
hit by flak near the target and crashed into the sea, killing
five of the seven men aboard, including F/O Desmond Freeman.
The crew consisted of:
|
Name |
Service |
Trade |
Hometown |
Age |
|
F/O Desmond Freeman - DFC |
RAFVR |
Pilot |
Gainsborough, Lincs. |
21 |
|
F/Sgt P.D Cook - Evaded |
RAFVR |
Flight Engineer |
- |
- |
|
F/Sgt Eric Coe |
RAFVR |
Navigator |
Ilford, Essex |
-
|
|
F/Sgt James Morris |
RAFVR |
Bomb Aimer |
- |
- |
|
Sgt James Heasman |
RAFVR |
W/Op/AG |
Forest Row, Sussex |
21 |
|
F/Sgt D. Gordon - Evaded |
RAFVR |
Air Gunner |
- |
- |
|
F/Sgt Horace Rosher |
RAFVR |
Air Gunner |
Ashford, Middlesex |
21 |
Flying
Officer Desmond Clayton Freeman, DFC, RAFVR, known
as "Denny" was the son of Luther Henry and Enid
Freeman of Gainsborough, Lincolnshire. F/O Freeman received
his Distinguished Flying Cross for his great courage during
the Nuremberg raid of 30/31st March 1944 when he
managed to get his stricken aircraft back to England, crash
landing at RAF Foulsham, Norfolk.
He is
commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial along with F/Sgt Morris
and Sgt Heasman. F/Sgt Coe is buried in Calais Southern
Cemetery, F/Sgt Rosher rests in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery. Two
members of the crew, F/Sgt Cook and F/Sgt Rosher evaded
capture.
Further
reading on the incident from which F/O Freeman earned his DFC can be found in the
article, Through
the Bombsight.
Photo
courtesy of the late Derek
Patfield,
research by Linda Ibrom.
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