DAMBUSTERS Burpee, Lewis Johnstone

John Robertson

Administrator
Staff member
  • 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
 

DATE OF DEATH:

17-May-1943
Last edited by a moderator:
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.
 
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