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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: warresearcher2 on Tuesday 26 August 14 16:30 BST (UK)
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Flt Sgt Collis RAFVR was the pilot of a Lancaster of 576 Sqdn. RAF. the plane crashed on the way back from Berlin on 25th March 1944. Flt Sgt L J Collis and Sgt E. Smith were killed. Sgt R J Roper, F/O A C Harper RCAF, Sgt P McDougall, Sgt B Warren and Sgt J Robinson were taken prisoner. I am researching the names of the men on the Great Thurlow war memorial in Suffolk and if anyone has any information or a photograph of Flt Sgt Collis I would be obliged to hear from them. Thanks. Rod Gibson.
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Hello Rod,
welcome to RootsChat.
Do you have the serial no. of the plane? Where had been the crash site?
Regards
Rudolf
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Hi Rudolf,
Lancaster 111 LM471 UL-J2
Crashed at Beeck, 5 Km N from Duisburg.
Regards, Rod
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Rod,
From CWGC web site,
Flight Sergeant Leslie John Collis, Service No. 1284701, Age 27, RAFVR.
Buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Grave Ref; 7.B.4.
Son of Joseph Benjamin and Edith Collis; husband of Constance Mary Collis of Sidcup, Kent.
Sharki.
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Hi - Leslie John Collis was my uncle (who died in 1944, some time before I was born). I have been trying to find a photo of him and the only one I have was taken at the wedding of Reginald Collis and Laura Cook, my parents, and it shows about half of his face. It does also include Leslie's parents Joseph and Edith, and their eldest son, James Collis.
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In the photo, taken in 1935 at my parents' wedding, along the back row from left to right is - Joseph Collis (Miller at Gt Thurlow and father of LJC), Edith Collis (nee Wright, mother of LJC), Reginald Collis (brother of LJC), Laura Collis (nee Cook, wife of Reginald and sister in law of LJC), James Collis (brother of LJC), Leslie John Collis (unfortunately only part of his face is visible), Reginald Bushell (not related to LJC but soon to marry one of the Cook sisters.