Carpe Diem - 576 Squadron RAF - The Crews

CREW MEMBER PROFILE
Surname:	BARRETT		First Name/s:	Jack Leslie

Service No/s:	577074	Service:	RAF	Branch:	Flight Engineer

Awards:

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Date	Event	Aircraft Flown
SERVICE RECORDS
05 Sep 1939 05 Sep 1939	Enlisted at No. 1 School of Technical Training (SoTT), 4 Wing, Halton, Buckinghamshire, mustering as Aircraft Apprentice (40th Entry); this was Halton’s largest entry with 1,378 entrants
12 Sep 1939 12 Sep 1939	No. 1 School of Technical Training (SoTT), 3 Wing, ‘B’ Squadron, Halton, Buckinghamshire.
26 Aug 1942 26 Aug 1942	Attached to No. 2 School of Technical Training (SoTT), Cosford, Shropshire; Technical and Discipline Course.
23 Sep 1942 23 Sep 1942	Returned to No. 13 Maintenance Unit (MU), Henlow, Bedfordshire, now working on Typhoon and Hurricane aircraft.
05 Jan 1943 05 Jan 1943	Volunteered and recommended for training as a Flight Engineer.
15 Jan 1943 15 Jan 1943	Air Crew Selection Board (ACSB), Cardington, Bedfordshire.
09 Jun 1943 09 Jun 1943	No. 4 School of Technical Training (SoTT), 62 (Flight Engineer) Course, St Athan, Glamorgan, Wales, remustering as Under Training Flight Engineer.
21 Jul 1943 21 Jul 1943	Attached to A V Roe Co., Chadderton, Lancashire.
27 Aug 1943 27 Aug 1943	Returned to No. 4 School of Technical Training (SoTT), St Athan, Glamorgan, Wales.
20 Sep 1943 20 Sep 1943	Promoted to Sergeant, remustering as Flight Engineer.
25 Sep 1943 25 Sep 1943	No. 11 Base, Lindholme, Yorkshire; administrative Base for No. 1 Group heavy bomber conversions.
25 Sep 1943 25 Sep 1943	No. 1656 Heavy Conversion Unit (1656 HCU), Lindholme, Yorkshire (Lancaster); here the crew assembled (after 18 Sep 43 when the other crew members arrived), and probably now comprised: R S McAra; Pilot (arrived 27 Jul 43) J L Barrett; Flight Engineer (arrived 25 Sep 43) C Chapman; Air Bomber G L Blackmore, RAAF; Navigator E Russom; Wireless Operator M G Western, RAAF & A A Harris, RAAF; Air Gunners	Lancaster
05 Dec 1943 05 Dec 1943	No. 576 Squadron, ‘A’ Flight, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire Ops (1) R S McAra crew	Lancaster
16 Dec 1943 16 Dec 1943	Berlin; lost in DV342 UL-G2, aged 19 Shot down over Berlin by Fwbl. Herbert Herre of 3./JG 302 in a Bf-109 (AviationSafety.net & Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943) at 2012 hrs at 10,000 ft. Seen to burst into flames and explode over Lichtenberg, 10 km ENE of Berlin. Pieces of the aircraft fell over a wide area; one of the engines fell in Rittergutstraße, where two of the crew (Chapman & Russell) were found; another engine fell in Verbindungsweg. The two bodies were taken to a central mortuary in Berlin and later buried in Doberlitz-Elsgrund German Military Cemetery, later interred at the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery. No trace of the other crewmen was found. Commemorated at the Runnymede Memorial, Surrey, Panel 141	Lancaster

Date	Aircraft	Code	Flight Details	T/O	Land	Flt Time	Crew
576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS
16 Dec 1943 16 Dec 1943	DV342	UL-G²	BERLIN	1630	nk	nk	P1 Fg Off R.S. McAra P2 FE Sgt J.L. Barrett AB Flt Sgt C. Chapman NAV Fg Off G.L. Blackmore RAAF WOp Sgt E. Russom MUG Flt Sgt M.G. Western RAAF RG Flt Sgt A.A. Harris RAAF
NOTES:	Failed to return. All crew killed. Shot down either by Hptm. Walter Borgers of Stab III./NJG5 (Aircrew Remembered), or by Fwbl. Herbert Herre of 3./JG 302 in a Bf109G (AviationSafety.net & Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943) (tbc) at 2008 hrs at 10,000 ft. Seen to burst into flames and explode over Lichtenberg, 10 km ENE Berlin. Pieces of the aircraft fell over a wide area; one of the engines fell in Rittergutstraße, where two of the crew (Chapman & Russell) were found; another engine fell in Verbindungsweg. A local policeman remembered that they were dressed in blue and each wore a white woollen sweater and escape boots. Both men wore parachute harnesses but there was no sign of the parachutes. The two bodies were taken to a central mortuary in Berlin and later buried in Doberlitz-Elsgrund German Military Cemetery, later interred at the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery. No trace of the other crewmen was found.

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