LEST WE FORGET
Pilot Officer Rex Vinitius LIERSCH
Service No: 9027
Born: Port Pirie SA, 26April 1917
Enlisted in the RAAF: 13 February 1940
Unit: No. 101 Squadron (RAF), RAF Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire
Died: Air Operations (No. 101 Squadron Lancaster aircraft JA965), Lincolnshire, 28 September 1943, Aged 26 Years
Buried: Cambridge City Cemetery, Cambridgeshire
CWGC Additional Information: Son of Theodore John and Laura Martha Liersch of Solomontown, South Australia
Roll of Honour: Crystal Brook SA
Remembered: Panel 125, Commemorative Area, Australian War Memorial, Canberra ACT
Remembered: World War II Honour Roll, National War Memorial of SA, North Terrace, Adelaide
Lancaster JA965 took off from RAF Ludford Magna at 1937 hours on the night of 27 September 1943, detailed to bomb Hannover, Germany. When homebound the aircraft was shot down at 0120 hours by a night fighter intruder aircraft and crashed about 2 kms south east of Wickenby airfield, Lincolnshire. The eight crew members on board were killed.
The crew members of JA965 were:
Sergeant John Derek Gulliver (1602960) (RAFVR) (Air Bomber)
Sergeant Philip Leslie Hands (1608994) (RAFVR) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Sidney Harris (1451522) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Sergeant Thomas Carmichael Kerr (1324340) (RAFVR) (Navigator)
Pilot Officer Rex Vinitius Liersch (9027) (Flight Engineer)
Sergeant Philip Meredith (122826) (RAFVR) (Wireless Air Gunner)
Sergeant William John Phillips (1811870) (RAFVR) (Air Gunner)
Pilot Officer Desmond Wallace Skipper (155489) (RAFVR) (Pilot)
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, 166/24/188