Colbran, Lester Owen (Flight Sergeant)

Killed in Action 1942-September-07

Flight Sergeant Lester Owen Colbran RCAF

Birth Date: 1919

Born:

Parents: Simon J. Colbran & M. Violet Colbran

Spouse:

Home: Maxville, Ontario (parents)

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

115 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Despite The Elements

Base

RAF Marham

Rank

Flight Sergeant

Position

Bomb Aimer

Service Numbers

R/96163

Home
Google MapMaxville, Ontario (parents)
Target
Google MapDuisburg Germany
Final Burial
Google MapMarham Cemetery
War Graves Plot Grave 23

Took off from Marham at 20:14 in Wellington Mk III (Sqn code KO-P Bomber Command) on an operation to Duisburg Germany.

Aircraft returned from a mine-laying trip Duisburg, Germany and exploded and crashed near Norwich, England when it's photo flash ignited.

Killed includes Colbran: Sergeant Melvyn Ralph Constable RCAF R/72553 KIA Marham Cemetery War Graves Plot. Grave 24. Flight Sergeant Charles Henry Lanceley RCAF R/86614 pilot KIA Marham Cemetery War Graves Plot. Grave 22. Sergeant Stanley Walter Scott RCAF R/77223 KIA Marham Cemetery War Graves Plot. Grave 25.

Injured but survived: Flight Sergeant C H Lancelay RCAF R/# .

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Canada Primary Source Library and Archives Canada Service Files (may not exist)

Crew or Other Personnel

Wellington BJ724

Flight Sergeant Lester Owen Colbran RCAF

Flight Sergeant Colbran, Lester Owen (RCAF)
Bomb Aimer
Killed in Action
1942-September-07
Marham Cemetery, Norfolk, UK

Sergeant Melvyn Ralph Constable RCAF

Sergeant Constable, Melvyn Ralph (RCAF)
Wireless Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1942-September-07
Marham Cemetery, Norfolk, UK

Flight Sergeant Charles Henry Lanceley RCAF

Flight Sergeant Lanceley, Charles Henry (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1942-September-07
Marham Cemetery, Norfolk, UK

Flight Sergeant Stanley Walter Scott RCAF

Flight Sergeant Scott, Stanley Walter (RCAF)
Navigator
Killed in Action
1942-September-07
Marham Cemetery, Norfolk, UK

Unit Desciption

115 (B) Sqn Despite The Elements ()

No. 115 Sqn was originally formed on Dec 1, 1917 as a heavy bomber squadron and joined the Independent Air Force of the RAF in August 1918. It was disbanded in 1919, then re-formed in June 1937. It formed part of RAF Bomber Command No. 3 Group in WWII. Starting with Handley Page Harrow aircraft, it transferred to Vickers Wellingtons in 1939, which it flew until March 1943, when it transferred to Avro Lancaster B. Mk. II and later B. Mks I and III. Between April 1940 and September 1942 the squadron was seconded to Coastal Command and based at Kinloss, Scotland. It rejoined Bomber Command and flew from Mildenhall, East Wretham and Little Snoring in 1942 and 1943 before settling at Witchford, Cambridgeshire from November 1943 until the end of hostilities.

In April 1940 the squadron made the RAF's first bombing attack on the mainland of Europe, at Stavanger in Norway. In August of 1941 it participated in the service trials of the new navigational aid, GEE, and as a result of its report the device was put into mass production. Overall, in WWII the squadron flew 5392 sorties and dropped about 23,000 tons of bombs. This was the second-highest tonnage of bombs in Bomber Command. The squadron was 3rd in the number of raids in the course of the war. Since it was active over the whole span of WWI, it lost the greatest number of aircraft of any squadron in Bomber Command: it was the only squadron to lose more than 200 aircraft.