CREW MEMBER PROFILE

Surname:

ALCORN

First Name/s:

James William

Service No/s:

421873

Service:

RAAF

Branch:

Pilot

Awards:

Return

SERVICE RECORDS

Date

Event

Aircraft Flown

24 Apr 1942

Enlisted at No.2 Recruiting Centre, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, as AC2

24 Apr 1942

No.1 Initial Training School, Somers, Victoria

15 Aug 1942

Promoted to Leading Aircraftsman (LAC)

21 Sep 1942

No.11 Elementary Flying Training School, Benalla, Victoria

24 Sep 1942

No.11 Elementary Flying Training School, Essendon, Victoria - 'special' detachment

Tiger Moth

23 Oct 1942

Returned to unit at 11 EFTS, Benalla, Victoria

Tiger Moth

20 Dec 1942

No.6 Service Flying Training School, Mallala, South Australia

Anson

08 Apr 1943

Awarded Pilot's Flying Badge and promoted to Sergeant

09 Apr 1943

No.2 Embarkation Depot, Bradfield Park, Sydney, New South Wales

05 May 1943

Embarked Brisbane, Queensland (vessel tbc). Probably sailed to the US then crossed by train to embark on another ship in (probably) New York for the UK.

07 Jul 1943

Disembarked UK (port and vessel tbc)

07 Jul 1943

No.11 (RAAF) Personnel Despatch and Reception Centre, Brighton, Sussex

16 Aug 1943

No.15 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit, Andover, Hampshire

Oxford

12 Sep 1943

Attached to 15 (P) AFU's satellite airfield at Ramsbury, Wiltshire

Oxford

08 Oct 1943

Promoted to Flight Sergeant

12 Dec 1943

Attached to RAF Wymeswold, Leicestershire

14 Dec 1943

No.50 (Training) Group Pool (location tbc)

21 Dec 1943

Attached to 15 (P) AFU's satellite airfield at Castle Combe, Wiltshire

25 Jan 1944

Set Rank from Flight Record

21 Apr 1944

No.11 Base, Lindholme, Yorkshire for No.1656, 1662 or 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit, and possibly No.1 Lancaster Finishing School

22 Apr 1944

No. 1656, 1662, or 1667 Heavy Conversion Unit (tbc)

Halifax / Lancaster

10 May 1944

Discharged on appointment to commission.

11 May 1944

Commissioned as a Pilot Officer

01 Jun 1944

No.1 Lancaster Finishing School, Hemswell, Lincolnshire (tbc, precise date tbc). If he flew Lancasters at HCU he would not have gone to the LFS.

Lancaster

09 Jun 1944

No.576 Squadron, 'B' Flight, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire

Lancaster

25 Jun 1944

Lost in operations to Flers in JB460, UL-V2

Lancaster

576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS

Date

Aircraft

Code

Flight Details

T/O

Land

Flt Time

Crew

25 Jun 1944

JB460

UL-V2

FLERS

0150

FTR

uk

P1   Plt Off J.W. Alcorn RAAF
P2   
FE   Sgt J. Mannion
AB   Flt Sgt R.K. Begg RAAF
NAV  Sgt T.E. Hayes
WOp  Sgt T.A. Roby
MUG  Sgt J.B. Cowie
RG   Sgt A.T.T. Morrell

NOTES:

Target: V1 'flying bomb' launch site. Load: 18x 500lb bombs. It is thought the aircraft was attacked and destroyed over the English Channel, about 10km south of Le Touquet. The claim was made by Oblt Ernst-Georg Drunkler of 1/NJG5 at a height of 2,800 metres (about 10,000 feet) and at a time of 0345. Neither the crew nor aircraft were were ever found. The crew are all remembered at the Runnymede Air Forces Memorial,

PERSONAL INFORMATION

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PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS

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