CREW MEMBER PROFILE

Surname:

ELLIS

First Name/s:

Peter Martin Crowle

Service No/s:

1388790

Service:

RAFVR

Branch:

Air Bomber

Awards:

Return

SERVICE RECORDS

Date

Event

Aircraft Flown
22 Apr 1941

Attended No. 8 Aviation Candidates’ Selection Board (8 ACSB) in Uxbridge, Middlesex, where he was recommended for training as Pilot. Later that day, he enlisted at the Combined Recruiting Centre (CRC), Duke’s Road, Euston, London WC1, as Aircraftman Second Class (AC2) and mustering as Air Crew Hand (Pilot).

23 Apr 1941

Transferred to the Reserve, pending call-up.

11 Aug 1941

Air Crew Reception Centre (ACRC), Lord’s Cricket Ground, St John’s Wood, London NW8.

06 Sep 1941

RAF Station Bircham Newton, Norfolk (unit not known).

15 Nov 1941

Promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC).

28 Nov 1941

Air Crew Disposal Wing (ACDW), Metropole Hotel, Regency Square, Brighton, Sussex.

17 Dec 1941

No. 17 Elementary Flying Training School (17 EFTS), Peterborough, Northamptonshire.

Tiger Moth
25 Jan 1942

Embarked UK for Canada (port & vessel n/k); date TBC.

01 Feb 1942

Disembarked Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; date TBC.

02 Feb 1942

No. 31 (RAF) Personnel Depot (31 PD), Moncton, New Brunswick.

12 Feb 1942

Took train to the USA to join the Arnold Scheme.

23 Feb 1942

RAF Reception Centre (RC), Turner Field, Albany, Georgia.

28 Mar 1942

Primary Flying School, Lodwick Field, Lakeland, Florida.

stearman
28 Apr 1942

No. 1 Composite Training School (1 KTS) tbc, Trenton, Ontario, Canada.

06 May 1942

Remustered as under training Observer.

06 Jun 1942

No. 31 (RAF) Bombing & Gunnery School (31 B&GS), Picton, Ontario.

Anson / Battle / Bolingbroke tbc.
07 Jun 1942

Remustered as Air Bomber.

28 Jul 1942

No. 33 (RAF) Air Navigation School (33 ANS), Mount Hope, Hamilton, Ontario.

Anson
11 Sep 1942

Promoted to Sergeant.

29 Oct 1942

Embarked Halifax, Nova Scotia, for the UK (vessel n/k); date TBC.

05 Nov 1942

Disembarked in the UK (port n/k).

06 Nov 1942

No. 7 Personnel Reception Centre (7 PRC), Spa Hotel, Harrogate, Yorkshire (using the Spa, Majestic, Queen, Adelphi, or Cecil Hotels for accommodation).

22 Jan 1943

RAF Station Skeabrae, Orkney, Scotland (unit not known).

12 Apr 1943

No. 21 Operational Training Unit (21 OTU), Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire

Wellington
12 Apr 1943

Attached to No. 311 Ferry Training Unit (311 FTU), Moreton in Marsh, Gloucestershire.

Wellington
06 Aug 1943

Remustered as under training Air Observer.

25 Aug 1943

No. 27 OTU, Lichfield, Staffordshire; joins F R Scott RAAF crew, which comprised:
Pilot: F R Scott RAAF
Air Bomber: P M C Ellis
Navigator: G G Critchley
Wireless Operator: J H Caldwell
Air Gunner: J W Ross

Wellington
03 Sep 1943

Bombing operation 3/4 Sep 43 to Forêt de Raismes, Hauts-de-France, northern France whilst on No. 27 OTU; crew comprised:
F R Scott PLT
C G Critchley AB
P M C Ellis NAV
J M Caldwell WOP
J W Ross AG

Wellington
11 Sep 1943

Promoted to Flight Sergeant

16 Sep 1943

No. 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Blyton, Lincolnshire; crew joined by Flight Engineer S V Cull and Air Gunner B P Wicks RAAF (ex No. 166 Sqn).

Lancaster
02 Dec 1943

No. 576 Squadron, ‘A’ Flight, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire
Ops (1): F R Scott RAAF crew

Lancaster
16 Dec 1943

Berlin; lost in LM332 UL-B2

Collided three minutes after take-off with JB670 of 103 Squadron.

As JB670 took off and climbed away, LM332 appeared out of the clouds flying directly towards them. A collision was inevitable, and the machines crashed head on at 1640 hrs close to Ulceby, 8 km NW of Elsham Wolds and wreckage fell over a wide area.

The crew of the JB670 was a scratch crew made up from members of both 103 and 576 Squadrons, a slightly unusual occurrence. There were no survivors

A report into the accident stated: “The accident occurred at dusk just after take off about 5 miles north east of Elsham Wolds. The two aircraft followed each other off with an interval of one minute between. Visibility was moderate, with cloud base at 1,000 feet, and thickness about 1000 feet. Some three minutes after the aircraft had taken off they collided, the collision occurred at a distance of 4 to 5 miles bearing 080 degrees to the take off runway, either at the base of, or in low cloud. Pilots were instructed to climb through the cloud in the direction of take off, before circling the drome. Why these two aircraft did not do so is not known.”

Buried at Cambridge City Cemetery, grave 13914

‘GREATLY LOVED R.I.P.’

Lancaster

576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS

Date

Aircraft

Code

Flight Details

T/O

Land

Flt Time

Crew

16 Dec 1943

LM332

UL-B2

BERLIN

1655

FTR

n/k

P1   Flt Sgt F.R. Scott RAAF
P2   
FE   Sgt S.V. Cull
AB   Flt Sgt P.M.C. Ellis
NAV  Sgt G.G. Critchley
WOp  Sgt J.H. Caldwell
MUG  Flt Sgt B.P. Wicks RAAF
RG   Sgt J.W. Ross

NOTES:

Target: Built-up Area Load: 1x 4,000lb 'Cookie', 56x 30lb and 1122x 4lb incendiaries There was plenty of low cloud over Elsham Wolds, but not sufficiently bad to prevent the aircraft from 576 and 103 Squadrons taking off for the mission to Berlin. During the briefing, crews were cautioned about the weather conditions and were instructed that after take-off they should maintain the prescribed climb-out procedures until reaching the prescribed height and then turn towards the North Sea on the briefed route to the target. It was stressed that crews should not deviate from these instructions in any way. At 1637, the crew of Flt Sgt Richter, comprising a scratch crew of 103 and 576 Squadron crews. Shortly afterwards, at 1656, the Scott crew took off for what was to be their first operation. What follows next is largely conjecture. It seems that as Richter's aircraft was climbing out, Scott's aircraft suddenly appeared out of the cloud and flying directly towards them. The collision was inevitable and the two Lancasters crashed head-on. The collision occurred over the village of Ulceby and the wreckage from both aircraft was spread over a wide area. There were no survivors. In 2000, a plaque was erected at the Ulceby War Memorial to commemorate both crews. The 103 Squadron aircraft's crew were: Pilot Flt Sgt V Richter Flight Engineer Sgt F S Copping Air Bomber Fg Off C R Jacques, 576 Squadron Navigator Sgt C W Plampton Wireless Operator Flt Sgt T L H Kay, RAAF Mid-Upper Gunner Sgt P Coopman Rear Gunner Sgt F A Furrie, 576 Squadron

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