550 Squadron
F/Sgt J P Harrison and Crew
F/Sgt J P Harrison and crew were posted to 550 Sqdn from 1662 Con Unit w.e.f. 10/2/44:
- F/Sgt J P Harrison (P)
- Sgt K Thompson (F/Eng)
- Sgt R D Samuels (Nav)
- Sgt K R Sumner (A/B)
- Sgt D E Nutter (W/Op)
- Sgt H C Petty (MU/AG)
- Sgt L W F Overend (R/AG)
F/Sgt J P Harrison (P) became a PoW when Lancaster LM461 flown by the W/O Miller crew was lost on the 19/20 February 1944 while returning from a raid on Leipzig (LM461 was shot down by a Luftwaffe night-fighter over Germany). On this occasion F/Sgt Harrison was flying his first operational flight as 2nd pilot to W/O Miller. For information about that flight and crew see the W/O J I Miller page.
So the remainder of this now "headless" crew was posted to No. 11 Base for re-crewing w.e.f. 22/2/44, 2 days after the loss of their pilot. They re-appeared some time soon after back in 550 Sqdn (although an incoming transfer note has not been located) because they then flew with F/Lt J F Craig and all were lost (crew: 6 KIA, 1 PoW) on operations in LL852.