Sears, Earl Kitchener
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Earl Kitchener |
Surname | Sears |
Gender | M |
Date of Death | 22-03-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Reuben and Mable Sears. Husband of Thelma W. Sears, of Havelock, Ontario, Canada. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster II |
Serial Number | LL647 |
Markings | OW-R |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Reichswald Forest War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 29. D. 1. |
Epitaph | UNTIL WE MEET AGAIN. ALSO 23RD PSALM |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 239 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/14814 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 426 (Thunderbird) |
Squadron Motto | On wings of fire |
Trade | Air Gunner |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Adjacent to Village Hall, Dishforth, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with Inscribed Metal Plaque & Maple Tree |
Memorial Text | In memory of the Canadian aircrew of 425 and 426 Sqns RCAF who served at RAF Dishforth, 1942-1945 |
Location | Outside Village Hall, Linton on Ouse, North Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed Slate Tablet |
Memorial Text | In memory of Canadian personnel who served at RAF Linton on Ouse during WW2, including 408 and 426 Sqns RCAF |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1842/6 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1842/5 |
Fellow Servicemen
Please note that this list gives all the losses aboard the quoted aircraft and occasionally these may have occurred on an earlier date when the aircraft was not itself lost. Please check the dates of death carefully.
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 22-03-1944 |
End Date | 23-03-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Linton-on-Ouse |
Day/Night Raid | Night (3% moon) |
Operation | Frankfurt. 816 aircraft, 33 losses (4.0%). An indirect route, in addition to a diversionary raid on Kiel kept fighters away for some time and in fact the German controller believed that Frankfurt was the target. Marking and bombing were accurate and Frankfurt was again badly damaged right across the city. 948 deaths and 346 seriously injured. Some 120000 people were bombed out of their homes. |
Reason for Loss | Shot down by a night-fighter at 20000' over the Ruhr on outbound leg. Crashed near Greffen, Germany |