F/O L.Flack, 514 sqdn info quest

Hello again, I've been researching my Great Uncle's service records and anything else I can find about him. Some of you have already given me some excellent info that is much appreciated!

What I know so far....

He flew a Lancaster Mk.111, Serial # ME365, ID. J1-T. The plane blew up over the target area at 12:05pm during Operation Salzbergen, 06Mar45. He and his crew are buried at the Reichswald Forest War Cemetary.

What I'd like to find out...

Where he took his training?
What was his first mission?
What other missions was he involved?Logbooks?
Did he fly anything else besides Lanc's?
Photo's of the JT-1 and crew?
Did flak destroy their plane or damage from an axis plane?

The reason I'm starting this is, on Rememberance Day, my father gave me his Uncle's medals of which I've always shown an interest. Now I'd like to know my Great Uncle's story.

 

I hate to sound like a broken record but the only place you are going to find everything listed here, save photos of his aircraft and crew, is in his service file in Ottawa.

It will not only tell you where he trained (any of a dozen or more places in Canada alone - google "BCATP" and you'll see what I mean) but what the officers on the board thought of him and their recommendations as to his abilities. There may be family information given there which you are not aware of. It will also show you what his three references wrote about him.

As he became a pilot he would not just have started learning to fly on Lancaster bombers so you can be sure you'll find the Tiger Moth as well as the Cessna Crane, then perhaps Ansons. When he got to OTU in the UK he would have been on Wellingtons and then gone on to convert to the 4 engine heavies like the Halifax or the Lanc.

His sorties will not be in his service file. You'll need to locate his flying log (less than 1 in 200 logs are in RCAF service files) or the Operational Record Book of the squadron for that information.

When its said that the aircraft blew up over the target area that leaves a myriad of possibilities as to how it came down and as there were no survivors it's the kind of question which won't be easily answered.

If you send me a PM with an email address I can give you some examples of the kind of information you're looking for but it's all in Ottawa and can't be found online.