Carpe Diem - 576 Squadron RAF

CREW MEMBER PROFILE

SERVICE RECORDS

576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS

PERSONAL INFORMATION

PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS

Matthews Crew L-R Blackman, Sinclair poss, Matthews, nk, nk, Bowden

Bealey gravestone

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Date	Event	Aircraft Flown
SERVICE RECORDS
12 Sep 1941 12 Sep 1941	Enlisted at No. 2 Recruit Centre, Cardington, Bedfordshire, as Aircraftman Second Class (AC2), mustering as Air Crew Hand (Gunner).
13 Sep 1941 13 Sep 1941	Transferred to the Reserve, pending call-up.
30 Sep 1941 30 Sep 1941	Called up at No. 1 Recruit Centre (RC), 31 Victoria Road, Penarth, Glamorgan, Wales.
03 Oct 1941 03 Oct 1941	No. 16 Recruit Centre (RC), Royal Hotel, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk,
14 Nov 1941 14 Nov 1941	No. 22 Recruit Centre (RC), Whitley Bay, Northumberland.
13 Dec 1941 13 Dec 1941	No. 4138 Anti-Aircraft Flight, RAF Regiment, Fairwood Common, Swansea, Gower, Glamorgan, Wales.
19 Dec 1942 19 Dec 1942	Air Crew Reception Centre, Abbey Lodge, Regents Park, London, remustering as Air Crew Hand (under training Air Gunner).
02 Jan 1943 02 Jan 1943	No. 14 Initial Training Wing (ITW), Bridlington, Yorkshire.
03 Apr 1943 03 Apr 1943	Promoted to Leading Aircraftman (LAC).
03 Apr 1943 03 Apr 1943	No. 7 Air Gunnery School (AGS), Stormy Down, Pyle, Bridgend, Glamorgan, Wales.	Anson
03 Apr 1943 03 Apr 1943	No. 7 Air Gunnery School (AGS), Stormy Down, Pyle, Bridgend, Glamorgan, Wales.	Anson
15 May 1943 15 May 1943	Awarded Air Gunner’s (AG) brevet, promoted to Sergeant, and remustered as Air Gunner.
18 May 1943 18 May 1943	No. 28 Operational Training Unit (OTU), Wymeswold, Course 16, Leicestershire (Wellington); joins L R B Matthews crew.	Wellington
10 Jul 1943 10 Jul 1943	No. 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Blyton, Lincolnshire.	Halifax
21 Jul 1943 21 Jul 1943	Attached to No. 1481 (Bomber) Gunnery Flight (BGF), Binbrook, Lincolnshire.	Wellington
01 Aug 1943 01 Aug 1943	Returned to No, 1662 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), Blyton, Lincolnshire.	Halifax
26 Aug 1943 26 Aug 1943	No. 1 Lancaster Finishing School (LFS), Hemswell, Yorkshire.	Lancaster
09 Sep 1943 09 Sep 1943	No. 101 Squadron, Ludford Magna, Lincolnshire Ops (8): L R B Matthews crew 27 Sep 43 – Hanover 29 Sep 43 – Bochum; faulty engine 03 Oct 43 – Kassel 07 Oct 43 – Stuttgart 22 Oct 43 – Kassel; abandoned 1h45 after take-off due engine failure and icing 03 Nov 43 – Dusseldorf 10 Nov 43 – Modane 26 Nov 43 – Stuttgart	Lancaster
25 Nov 1943 25 Nov 1943	No. 576 Squadron, ‘B’ Flight, Elsham Wolds, Lincolnshire Ops (1): L R B Matthews crew	Lancaster
04 Dec 1943 04 Dec 1943	Leipzig; lost in JB550 UL-T2, aged 22 Hit by flak on way to the target in the vicinity of Burg at about 2300 hrs or possibly shot down by Fw. Heinz Oberheide of 4./NJG3 at 0322 to the SW of Leipzig at 21,000 ft. and caught fire. Part of the bombload jettisoned before the aircraft fell apart and crashed in two pieces, one near the brickworks in Stegelitz and the other in a field near Landhaus Zeddenick, near Möckern, 14 miles East of Magdeburg. The two villages are approximately 4 miles apart, which might suggest strong winds. Only one crew member (unknown) baled out but did not survive.  Buried originally locally in the two villages, he and the crew were reinterred at City Cemetery, Möckern and were reinterred on 19 Jul 47 at the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery, Charlottenburg, in Collective grave 6.H.5 “MEMORIES OF YOU, DEAR SON, WILL EVER LINGER IN OUR HEARTS. LOVING MOTHER & FAMILY”	Lancaster

Date	Aircraft	Code	Flight Details	T/O	Land	Flt Time	Crew
576 Squadron FLYING RECORDS
04 Dec 1943 04 Dec 1943	JB550	UL-T²	LEIPZIG	0010	FTR	nk	P1 Flt Sgt L.R.B. Matthews P2 FE Sgt A.D. Roulson AB Flt Sgt R.H. Sinclair RNZAF NAV Fg Off R.S. Bowden WOp Plt Off C.H. Bayram MUG Sgt D.J. Bealey RG Sgt D.W. Blackman
NOTES:	Target: Built-up Area. FTR - Crew from 101 Sqn

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Details
Donald Jack Bealey was born on 21 July 1921 in Norwich, Norfolk. He was the youngest of five children born to Herbert William Bealey (b. 1881) and Emma Maud Betts (b. 1883). He grew up in a large household alongside his four older siblings: Herbert Frank (1909–1939), Gladys Emma (1910–2009), Alfred Norrie (1915–2000) and Jack William (1918–1997). During the war, he entered military service to support the war effort. On 4 December 1943, at just 22 years old, he died during air operations over enemy territory. http://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=54885 https://www.northlincsweb.net/576Squadron/html/leslie_r_b_matthews_and_crew_576_Squadron.html

PHOTOS & DOCUMENTS
Details
Matthews Crew L-R Blackman, Sinclair poss, Matthews, nk, nk, Bowden Blackman family
Bealey gravestone CWGC

CREW MEMBER PROFILE

BEALEY

First Name/s:

Donald Jack

Service No/s:

1465966

Air Gunner