DAMBUSTERS Burpee, Lewis Johnstone

[John Robertson]

• SURNAME

Burpee ​

• FORENAME

Lewis Johnstone ​

• UNIT

617 Squadron,R.C.A.F. ​

• RANK

Pilot Officer ​

• NUMBER

J/17115 ​

• DATE OF DEATH

17th May 1943 ​

• AGE

25 ​

• GRAVESITE

Bergen-op-Zoom War Cemetery,Netherlands 23.B.3 ​

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

born 5.3.1918 Ottawa,Ontario,Canada​

son of Lewis Arthur and Lilian Agnes Burpee,Ottawa,Ontario,Canada​

husband of Lillian Emily Burpee,Ottawa,Canada​

B.A. degree​

RCAF 1940​

enlisted 17.12.1940​

to England September 1941​

106 Squadron 1942​

Flight Sgt (R/82285)​

award DFM (18.5.1942) (26 ops)​

Pilot Officer 5.3.1943​

617 Squadron 29.3.1943​

pilot​

Lancaster ED865​

Op.Chastise (Sorpe Dam)​

hit by flak and crashed 0200 hours near Gilze Rijen airfield,Holland ​

​

 

[desertfax]

Lewis Johnstone Burpee

At the age of 12 I heard, May 17 1943, Burpee?s aircraft go down over Gilze-Rijen airfield, from the outskirts of Tilburg 5.5 miles away. The very loud Upkeep mine explosion soundwave reached us 27 seconds afterwards , between 0200-0201 hrs. One airscrew of aircraft remaining and found back a few years ago in a house ; transported to Canada or England for display.