Mercer, Laurence John
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | Laurence John |
Surname | Mercer |
Gender | M |
Age | 20 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 31-03-1945 |
Next of Kin | Son of George William and Emily Phyllis Gladys Mercer, of Shoreditch, London. Husband of Gladys May Mercer, of Shoreditch. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster X |
Serial Number | KB859 |
Markings | SE-U |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Becklingen War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 14. C. 12. |
Epitaph | FOREVER IN OUR THOUGHTS AND ALWAYS IN OUR HEARTS |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 211 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 1893245 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 431 (Iroquois) |
Trade | Flight Engineer |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Race Control Building, Croft Auto Circuit, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 419 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Roadside Location, A167, Dalton on Tees, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Stone Memorial topped with metal statue |
Memorial Text | In memory of those who served at RAF Croft, 1941-1945 including 419 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Adjacent to A19, Burn, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Memorial Stone |
Memorial Text | A memorial to all those who served on 431 Sqn RCAF at RCAF Burn, 1942-1943 |
Location | Village Green, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed metal plaques & Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | In memory of all those who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2 including 431 Sqn RCAF |
Location | Old Control Tower, former airfield site, Tholthorpe, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of all those who served at RCAF Tholthorpe during WW2 including 431 Sqn RCAF |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1858/30 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1858/29 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 31-03-1945 |
End Date | 31-03-1945 |
Takeoff Station | Croft |
Day/Night Raid | Day |
Operation | Hamburg to attack the Blohm and Voss shipbuilding yards, where a new class of U-boats was being assembled. 469 aircraft, 11 lost due to a surprise appearance of the new Me 262 jet-propelled fighter. It was it's only appearance in fact. The target was completely cloud-covered so bombing was scattered throughout Hamburg with little damage to the intended target |
Reason for Loss | Crashed near Hittfeld, south of Harburg |