Coombs, Francis Alma (Pilot Officer)

Killed in Action 1945-February-01

Pilot Officer Francis Alma Coombs RCAF

Birth Date: 1920

Born:

Parents: Bertram John & Hannah Coombs

Spouse: Edith L. T. Coombs, of Rosemary, Alberta.

Home: Rosemary, Alberta (parents)

Enlistment:

Enlistment Date: unkown date

Service

RCAF

Unit

166 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Tenacity

Base

RAF Kirmington

Rank

Pilot Officer

Position

Air Gunner

Service Numbers

J/92482
Prev: R/211613

Home
Google MapRosemary, Alberta (parents)
Target
Google MapLudwigshafen Germany
Temporary Burial
Google MapNieder Instadt, Germany

Remains were later exhumed from this location and reburied

Final Burial
Google MapSoldaten Friedhof Alliierte Piloten 2WK
Coll grave 8 E 3-6

Took off from Kirmington at 1525 in Lancaster Mk I (Sqn code AS-J2 Bomber Command) on an operation to Ludwigshafen Germany.

Shot down (means not found) and crashed at Niederlustadt where all were buried in the local cemetery some 4 km west of the small town of Lingenfeld.

Killed: Flight Sergeant James Pirie Brown RCAF R/220677 KIA Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 8. E. 3-6. Pilot Officer Francis Alma Coombs RCAF J/92482 KIA Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 8. E. 3-6. F/Lt Edward Spankie RCAF J/86068 KIA pilot KIA Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 8. E. 3-6. Flight Sergeant Alexander McIvor RAF KIA Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 8. E. 3-6. F/Lt John Edward Shannon RAF KIA Rheinberg War Cemetery grave 8. E. 1. Sergeant Raymond Stennett RAF KIA Rheinberg War Cemetery grave 8. E. 2. Flight Sergeant Hugh Henry Teggart RAF KIA Rheinberg War Cemetery Coll. grave 8. E. 3-6.

Canada Source Canadian Virtual War Memorial

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

Crew or Other Personnel

Lancaster ME648

Flight Sergeant James Pirie Brown RCAF

Flight Sergeant Brown, James Pirie (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1945-February-01
Soldaten Friedhof Alliierte Piloten 2WK, Am Englischen Friedhof, Kamp-Lintfort, Germany

Pilot Officer Francis Alma Coombs RCAF

Pilot Officer Coombs, Francis Alma (RCAF)
Air Gunner
Killed in Action
1945-February-01
Soldaten Friedhof Alliierte Piloten 2WK, Am Englischen Friedhof, Kamp-Lintfort, Germany

Flight Lieutenant Edward Spankie RCAF

Flight Lieutenant Spankie, Edward (RCAF)
Pilot
Killed in Action
1945-February-01
Soldaten Friedhof Alliierte Piloten 2WK, Am Englischen Friedhof, Kamp-Lintfort, Germany

Unit Desciption

166 (B) Sqn Tenacity (Huddersfield's Own)

No 166 Squadron RAF was originally formed at Bircham Newton, Norfolk on June 13, 1918, designed as a heavy bomber unit, to fly the Handley Page V/1500 aircraft. The squadron was never fully mobilized because the Armistice intervened. The squadron was re-formed in November 1936 as a heavy bomber unit, flying Handley Page Heyfords, later equipping with Armstrong Whitworth Whitleys. It was based at Boscombe Down, Wiltshire from November 1936 to January 1937, when it moved to Leconfield, Yorkshire. The squadron became part of an air observer's school on June 7, 1938, and then became a 1 Group pool squadron in May 1939. From September 1939 it was based at Abingdon, Berkshire until April 1940. In that month the squadron merged with no. 97 Squadron to form No. 10 OTU.

In January 1943 the squadron was re-formed at Kirmington, Yorkshire (53.578,-0.344, now Humberside Airport), from flights of Nos. 150 and 170 squadrons, when parts of these squadrons were posted to the Middle East. It was again bomber squadron, flying Vickers Wellingtons in No. 1 Group of Bomber Command. It remained at Kirmington until the end of WWII, later re-equipping with Avro Lancasters. In the period 27/28 January 1943 and 25 April 1945, it dropped 27,287 tons of bombs and laid 333 tons of mines. The squadron won "at least" 2 DSOs, 2 CGMs, 117 DFCs and 108 DFMs in the course of WWII. The squadron was disbanded on November 18, 1945.