79 OPERATIONS FOR "G" FOR GEORGE
460 SQUADRON RAAF

On 9 February 1998, Wim Govaerts of the Belgian Aviation History Association (BAHA) sent me a letter and two photographs (see below). The following is a transcript of this letter:-

9 February 1998

Dear Mr. Dunn,

Please find enclosed two photographs of a cardboard plate which was sent home by William Austin Edwards who was the Flight Engineer on board of Lancaster ND925 of 103 Squadron, which crashed at Eggewaartskapelle, Belgium on 28 May 1944.  They were flying on a raid to Aachen.  Six crew members are buried at Egeewaartskapelle local cemetery and one crew member is buried at Koksijde War Cemetery.

Of interest to you will be that this crew previously flew "G" for George on three operational flights.  The first was on February 20 when they took off from Binbrook at 23:50 hrs on a mission to Stuttgart with F/O Leggett as Pilot. (Flying time 7.35 hrs).

The second one was on February 24 when they took off from Binbrook at 20:30 hrs on a mission to Schweinfurt with F/O Leggett as Pilot. (Flying time 8.15 hrs).

The third one was on February 25 when they took off from Binbrook at 18:20 hrs on a mission to Augsburg with F/O Leggett as Pilot. (Flying time 8.15 hrs).

This information I have obtained from the log book of Sgt. Edwards of which I have a photocopy.  I can let you have a copy of the page where "G" for George is mentioned if you are interested. (Yes please Wim - Peter) After this cardboard was sent home by Edwards to his parents and on the back he wrote missions which he flew on this Lancaster.  This board is still in the possess of the family today.

On March 15, 1944, the crew went over to 103 Squadron and flew operations for this Squadron to the day that they went missing.

My interest in this is that I am writing a book about all Manchesters and Lancasters which have crashed in Belgium during the war, hence the reason that I obtained this information.

You can e-mail me if you want until the end of this month, after this my e-mail address is about to change.  My new e-mail address is: wim.govaerts@village.uunet.be

I am a member of the Belgian Aviation History Association (BAHA) and we have also a website which is quite nice to visit: I hope that this will be of interest to you and that it was perhaps of some help.  (It certainly is Wim and thank you very much - Peter).

Wim Govaerts

 

Written on the rear of the card

Date:              26 Feb 1998
From:            "Wim Govaerts" <wim.govaerts@village.uunet.be>

Subject:     Photograph "G" for George

Hi Peter,

I do hope that you have received the photograph (Yes, as you can see above, it arrived in one piece, many thanks - Peter) which I have send to you some time ago, and which represented a card board plate of Lancaster "G" for George after its seventy-nine operations. This was send home to his parents by Austin Edwards, who was the flight engineer of the crew of F/O Leggett.  I am e-mailing you to let you know that my e-mail address is changed.  Hope that you have received it and that you were interested in the photograph.

Best Wishes,

Wim.

Subject:     Photograph "G" for George
Date:              Thu, 12 Mar 1998
From:            "Wim Govaerts" <wim.govaerts@village.uunet.be>

Hi Peter,

Thank you very much for putting the story and photographs on your web-site, and you do not have to send back the photographs.  Keep them for your own collection. Thank you also for correcting my e-mail address. At the moment I also have taken my first steps on to the internet by creating my own web-site with only limited sources. It will get better, no doubt there, and larger in due course. it can be found at http://gallery.uunet.be/wim.govaerts/index.html (link no longer works) and it is about Avro Manchester and Avro Lancaster losses over Belgium.

At this site I have made a link to your web-site about "G" George.

I noticed your comment on the logbook page and I will send a copy of this page to you this week.

I will write again soon, as I have other story's about 460 Sqn losses in Belgium. One of these men, Don Dyson, who landed with his parachute in Belgium, is coming over to Belgium to visit me in June. I will let you know the outcome of this visit.

Best Wishes,

Wim

"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products

This page first produced 27 February 1998

This page last updated 22 February 2020