LEST WE FORGET
Flight Sergeant Lawrence IRELAND
Service No: 421221
Born: Croydon Park NSW, 7 December 1923
Enlisted in the RAAF: 31 January 1942
Unit: No. 103 Squadron (RAF), RAF Station Elsham Wolds
Died: Air Operations: (No. 103 Squadron Lancaster aircraft ND925), Belgium, 28 May 1944, Aged 20 Years
Buried: Eggewaarskapelle Churchyard, Veurne, West Vlanderren, Belgium
CWGC Additional Information: Son of William Francis and Ellen Ireland
Roll of Honour: Mosman NSW
Remembered: Panel 124, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Lancaster ND925 took off from Elsham Wolds on the night of 27 May 1944 detailed to bomb Aachen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take-off and it failed to return to base. The aircraft was hit by rail mounted anti-aircraft guns, which set one wing on fire. The aircraft blew up near Eggenaarskapelle, 6 kms south east of Veurne, Belgium. Six of the crew members were killed and one became a Prisoner of War.
The crew members of ND925 were:
Flying Officer Raymond Henry Beer (151422) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Sergeant William Austin Edwards (1652947) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Pilot Officer F C Gore (158125) (RAF) (Mid Upper Gunner) PoW
Flight Sergeant Lawrence Ireland (421221) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Flying Officer Albert Victor Morgan Jones (149560) (RAFVR) (Rear Gunner)
Flight Lieutenant Thomas Gordon Leggett (117474) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
Flying Officer Arthur Alexander Wilks (148331) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
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, 166/19/54
Bibliography:
Charlwood, D.E.C. (Donald Ernest Cameron) (408794) No Moon Tonight (Angus and Robertson 1956), Penguin Ringwood VIC, 3134, 1991