• Operation Chastise (Dambusters Raid)

Date of birth:

March 5th, 1918 (Ottawa, Canada)

Date of death:

May 17th, 1943 (Gilze-Rijen/Noord-Brabant, Nederland)

Buried on:

Commonwealth War Cemetery Bergen op Zoom
Plot: 23. Row: B. Grave: 3.

Service number:

J/17115

Nationality:

Canadian

Lewis Johnstone Burpee was born on 5 March 1918 in Ottawa. After studying English, History, and Politics at Queen’s University, he joined the RCAF in December 1940.

He qualified as a pilot in September 1941, then trained on heavy bombers before joining 106 Squadron in October 1942.

Burpee flew his first mission as captain on 7 November 1942, eventually completing 25 operations and earning a recommendation for the DFM. In early 1943, Guy Gibson selected him for 617 Squadron.

Balancing his duties, Burpee had married in September 1942 and was searching for a home for his pregnant wife. After six weeks of training, his crew joined Operation Chastise’s reserve wave. AJ-S took off at 0011 on 17 May 1943 but was shot down over Holland near Gilze-Rijen airfield, crashing in flames.

Only Burpee, Brady, and Weller were individually identified, while the others were buried in a communal grave at Zuylen Cemetery, Prinsenhage. After the war, all seven were reinterred at Bergen-op-Zoom War Cemetery.

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Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Awarded on:

September 1941

Period:

Second World War (1939-1945)

Rank:

Flight Sergeant

Unit:

No. 617 Squadron, Royal Air Force

Awarded on:

May 18th, 1943

Recommendation (dated 26 March 1943 when he had flown 26 sorties (205 hours 20 minutes):
"Flight Sergeant Burpee has taken part in 26 operational sorties, successfully bombing many vital targets ranging from the naval ports of Bremen, Hamburg and Wilhelmshaven to the industrial centre of the Ruhr and as far afield as the war centres of Italy. He has consistently displayed the greatest determination in the execution of whatever tasks were allotted him. Berlin, Nuremburg, Stuttgart, Genoa and Turin are some of the many objectives he has attacked with satisfactory results and in recent weeks he has taken part in the highly successful raids on Lorient, S.Nazaire and both of the Essen attacks. He also flew on the daylight attack against Milan in October 1942. Flight Sergeant Burpee has shown coolness and courage throughout his operational tour and has performed his duties conscientiously and efficiently."

• Photo 1: Dambustersblog.com
• - CWGC
  - https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/36017/supplement/2201/data.pdf
  - Dambusters
  - https://www.rcafassociation.ca/
  

Helaas geen map gevonden.

Crash Site Avro Lancaster Mk. III ED865 AJ-S

Gilze-Rijen - North Brabant

RAF Scampton

Lincoln - Lincolnshire

Memorial Fallen 617 Squadron Dambusters

Woodhall Spa - Lincolnshire

Operation Chastise (Dambusters Raid)