Spanke, Edwin Herman
Personal Information
Rank | F/S |
Forename(s) | Edwin Herman |
Surname | Spanke |
Gender | M |
Age | 21 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 03-08-1943 |
Next of Kin | Son of Augustine Joseph Spanke and Bertha Genevieve Spanke (née Shirk), of High River, Alberta, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster III |
Serial Number | DV224 |
Markings | PH-G |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Hamburg Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Coll. grave 4A. L. 1-6. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 1 |
Panel Number | 100 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | R/149408 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 1 |
Squadron | 12 |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Wickenby Airfield, Wickenby, Lincolnshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Memorial with Sculpture of Icarus & Information Board |
Memorial Text | Royal Air Force Wickenby No1 Group Bomber Command 1942-1945 In memory of one thousand and eighty men of 12 & 626 Squadrons who gave their lives on operations from this airfieldin the offensive against Germany and the liberation of occupied Europe Per ardu |
Miscellaneous Information
Edwin was born at High River, Alberta, on 3 April 1922. His father was born at Petersburg, Illinois, USA and worked as a trucker and his mother was born at Gormley, Ontario. The schools he attended were Sharon 1065, Brant 1928-1936, followed by Brant High 1936-1939. His sport interests were softball, ice skating, dancing, bowling and swimming and his hobbies were woodworking and mechanics. On leaving school Edwin worked at a Service Station for a short while, spent 18 months in farming between May 1940-November 1941 and he worked as a carpenter for Maxwell Construction Co., at the airport for a year. He had also been a trucker's helper for five months 1939-1940 for his father. |
After enlisting on 17 February 1942 and initial training Edwin was posted to the U.K. and embarked from New York on 5 January 1943, arriving in the U.K. at 3 PRC on 13 January. He then continued to 81 OTU 2 March 1943, 1656 CU 14 June 1943 and finally 12 Squadron 20 July 1943. Sadly Edwin then lost his life just two weeks later on 3 August 1943 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/167/14 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/167/13 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 02-08-1943 |
End Date | 03-08-1943 |
Takeoff Station | Wickenby |
Day/Night Raid | Night (3% moon) |
Operation | Hamburg |
Reason for Loss | Hit by flak and crashed at Nettlenburg in Bergedorf, Hamburg |