LEST WE FORGET
Flying Officer Geoffrey Livingstone BLACKMORE
Service No: 422388
Born: Wilberforce NSW, 21 April 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 22 May 1942
Unit: No. 576 Squadron (RAF), RAF Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 576 Squadron Lancaster aircraft DV382), Germany, 16 December 1943, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Unrecovered
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Walter Livingstone Blackmore and Olive Eileen Blackmore, of Chatswood, New South Wales, Australia
Roll of Honour: Chatswood NSW
Remembered: Panel 187, Runnymede Memorial, Surrey UK
Remembered: Panel 119, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: Commonwealth Bank of Australia Honour Rolls, Sydney NSW
Lancaster DV382 of No 576 Squadron was detailed to operate against Berlin on the night of
16/17 December 1943. The aircraft left RAF Station Elsham Wolds at the appointed time, but nothing further was heard of the aircraft or crew. In 1947, a report from No 4 MREU, RAF (Germany) established that the aircraft crashed in the vicinity of Berlin-Lichtenberg. Investigations were carried out in the Berlin area and at Doeberitz-Elsgrund cemetery, about 16 kms west of Berlin. Despite exhaustive searches and interrogations of local authorities, it was not possible to obtain any information of actual location of crash. Exhumations at the Doeberitz-Elsgrund cemetery located 2 members of the crew but it could not be established whether the remainder of the crew were buried there.
The crew members of DV382 were:
Sergeant Jack Leslie Barrett (577074) (RAF) (Flight Engineer)
Flying Officer Geoffrey Livingstone Blackmore (422388) (Navigator)
Flight Sergeant Cyril Chapman (1425936) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Flight Sergeant Albert Alfred Harris (417837) (Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Ronald Stenhouse McAra (134095) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Sergeant Eric Russom (RAF) (1214848) (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner)
Flight Sergeant Malcolm George Western (417917) (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 Veteran’s Affairs On-Line WWII Nominal Roll
National Archives of Australia On-Line Record A705, 166/5/381
Register of War Memorials in New South Wales On-Line