CREW MEMBER PROFILE |
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Surname: |
WICKS |
First Name/s: |
Brian Price |
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Service No/s: |
416815 |
Service: |
RAAF |
Branch: |
Air Gunner |
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Awards: |
1939-1945 Star, Aircrew Europe Star, Defence Medal, 1939-1945 War Medal, Australia Service Medal 1939-45 |
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SERVICE RECORDS |
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Date |
Event |
Aircraft Flown |
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14 Mar 1941 |
Applied for Aircrew, RAAF RC, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA. |
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08 Aug 1941 |
Enrolled in the Reserve at No. 5 Recruiting Centre (RC), Adelaide, SA and awaiting call-up. |
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11 Sep 1941 |
Enlisted at No. 5 Recruiting Centre (RC), Adelaide, SA as AC2, mustering as Aircrew V, aged 18. |
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11 Sep 1941 |
No. 5 Initial Training School (5 ITS), Pearce, WA. |
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01 Jan 1942 |
Re-mustered as Aircrew V (Pilot). |
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28 Feb 1942 |
Promoted to LAC & re-mustered as Aircrew II (Pilot). |
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09 Mar 1942 |
No. 9 Elementary Flying Training School (9 EFTS), Cunderdin, WA |
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04 Jun 1942 |
No. r Initial Training School (5 ITS), Cse 30 (Aircrew), Clontarf, WA; re-mustered as Aircrew V (Gunner). |
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25 Jun 1942 |
No. 1 Wireless & Air Gunners School (1 WAGS), Ballarat, VIC |
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16 Nov 1942 |
No. 3 Bombing & Gunnery School (3 B & GS), 26 (G) Course, Sale, VIC |
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10 Dec 1942 |
Awarded Air Gunner’s (AG) Flying Badge & promoted to Sgt, re-mustering as Air Gunner. |
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11 Dec 1942 |
No. 4 Embarkation Depot (4 ED), Mitcham, Adelaide, SA. |
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09 Jan 1943 |
Embarked Adelaide, SA on New Zealand Star. |
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06 Mar 1943 |
Disembarked Liverpool. |
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07 Mar 1943 |
No. 11 (RAAF) Personnel Despatch and Reception Centre (PDRC), Bournemouth, Dorset. |
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23 Mar 1943 |
No. 27 Operational Training Unit (27 OTU), 37 Course, Lichfield, Staffordshire. |
Wellington |
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05 Jun 1943 |
No. 166 Sqn, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire |
Wellington |
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10 Jun 1943 |
Promoted to Flt Sgt. |
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11 Jun 1943 |
Attached to RAF Binbrook from No. 166 Sqn ending 15 Jun 43. |
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20 Jun 1943 |
No. 1481 Target Towing (TT) Flight (Flt), Binbrook from No. 166 Sqn until 27 Jun 43. |
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22 Sep 1943 |
No. 1662 HCU, Blyton, Lincolnshire. No. 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Blyton, Lincolnshire; joined F R Scott crew together with Flight Engineer S V Cull. |
Lancaster |
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13 Oct 1943 |
Attached to RAF Binbrook until 23 Oct 43. |
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02 Dec 1943 |
No.576 Sqn, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire |
Lancaster |
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16 Dec 1943 |
(Berlin); lost in in LM332 UL-B2 at Elsham Wolds. Narrative below. |
Lancaster |
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576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS |
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Date |
Aircraft |
Code |
Flight Details |
T/O |
Land |
Flt Time |
Crew |
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16 Dec 1943 |
LM332 |
UL-B2 |
BERLIN |
1655 |
FTR |
n/k |
P1 Flt Sgt F.R. Scott RAAF |
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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PERSONAL INFORMATION |
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Personal Records Restricted - not available to the public |
PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS |
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Personal Documents Restricted - not available to the public |
