Colgan, Lionel James

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Personal Information

Rank F/O
Forename(s) Lionel James
Surname Colgan
Gender M
Age 26
Date of Death 27-11-1944
Next of Kin Son of Percy Claude and Essie Noel Colgan, of North Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
COLGAN LJ

Aircraft Information

Aircraft de Havilland Mosquito VI
Serial Number HP934
Markings SB-X

Memorial Information

Burial/Memorial Country Netherlands
Burial/Memorial Place Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery
Grave Reference Plot 13. Row 12. Grave 200.
Epitaph HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED

IBCC Memorial Information

Phase 3
Panel Number Not yet erected on site

Enlistment Information

Service Number 413075
Service Royal Australian Air Force
Group 2 Group, 140 Wing
Squadron 464 (Norwich's own)
Squadron Motto Aequo animo (Equanimity)
Trade Pilot
Country of Origin Australia

Miscellaneous Information

The navigator, F/O Stoner survived the crash and returned safe to London on 24 March 1945 having been hidden by the Dutch underground movement. He reported “On 27 November 1944 we were on an intruder patrol over the area Arnhem-Aachen-Cologne-Emmerich. Crossing at Egmond (Noord-Holland, author's note) at 2000 feet 20mm guns opened up. The pilot thought we had been hit but neither the aircraft nor the instruments gave any indication. Six minutes later over Ijssel Mer two explosions occurred. Looking back I saw fire in the after hatch of the aircraft. At the same time the controls went. The Pilot ordered bale out. The emergency hatch jammed but I kicked and pushed it open. The aircraft was losing height rapidly, but the Pilot managed to stagger it up to 1500 feet before I baled out. Landed in a patch of young trees. Before I could get out of the harness four young Dutchmen approached me. One spoke English. He said he could hide me from the Germans who were only a few kms away. Two of the boys went to look for the Pilot and I was taken to a farm. A doctor came within half an hour and fixed up a deep gash in my head. A special hide out was made for me in a barn outside a house where 26 evacuees were living. On 29 November the Germans arrived and searched the house but somebody had put diphtheria [signs] on one room so the Germans quickly left. On 8 December taken in hand by the Dutch underground and journey arranged for me.”

Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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The National Archives

Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1924/46
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1924/45

Last Operation Information

Start Date -
End Date -
Takeoff Station Thorney Island
Operation Night intruder attack on road and rail junctions in Unna, Viersen and Cloppenburg
Reason for Loss Caught fire on the return leg over the IJsselmeer and the order to bale out was given. It is not clear whether F/O Colgan was able to make good his escape or whether the aircraft crashed with him still aboard.

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Casualty Pack

IBCC is delighted to introduce a unique facility to link the Losses Database to the relevant RAF Casualty Pack on the National Archives website. This project is the result of on-going collaboration between IBCC, the MOD Records Office and National Archives, Kew. This document describes what Casualty Packs are, when they were created, the process of making them available to the public and then goes on to describe the process by which you can view the contents of the packs. Casualty Packs (CPs) were created by the RAF whenever there was serious injury or loss of life associated with operational activity within the RAF. This includes operational flying losses, enemy action due to air raids, road accidents either on station or even off-station if they involved RAF vehicles. Deaths due to natural causes in service or accidents that did not involve RAF vehicles did not generally give rise to a CP.

CPs were originally given a unique reference number by the RAF. Each begins with the letter ‘P’ and is followed by six digits, then an oblique (forward slash) and the finally the year in which the incident took place- for example P396154/42.

The CPs are in the process of being made available to the general public as they are passed from the MOD Records Office, Portsmouth to National Archives, Kew. This process requires some rework to the files which is very time consuming, so the process of making them all available to National Archives will take several years. They are being made available in increasing date order.

Once CPs arrive at National Archives they are assigned a unique AIR81 number, so each CP has both a P-number and an AIR81 number. Both are searchable on the National Archives website under ‘Search the catalogue’ and both are included on the IBCC website.

The AIR81 reference on the IBCC website is a link to the file on the National Archives website. When you click on it, the relevant page will open in a new tab on your browser.

There is currently no plan to digitise AIR81 files, partly because they are fragile and partly because the information they contain can at times be sensitive, even harrowing, since they may contain exhumation reports and even photographs of corpses. Family members wishing to read the AIR81 files relating to their ancestors are advised to exercise caution and be guided by National Archives warnings where appropriate.

There are two means for accessing AIR81 files- to attend in person or to order a copy by post.

To attend in person, the attendee should first create a Reader’s Ticket. This can be done online by following this link: https://secure.nationalarchives.gov.uk/login/yourdetails. Then click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and click Order in Advance. Enter your Reader’s Ticket number and state the date on which you intend to visit. National Archives will have the file ready for you when you arrive, saving you time. When you visit Kew, you must quote the Reader’s Ticket number and take along two forms of ID- one bearing your signature and one bearing your address. When you view the files, you are permitted to take photographs of each page, should you wish.

Alternatively, if you wish to order a copy by post, please be aware that there is a charge for this service based on the number of pages in the file. Click on the AIR81 reference on the IBCC website and then click Request a Copy. There is an £8.40 charge for National Archives staff to access the file and give you a quotation for the copying service. The process takes around 24 days to complete and can be expensive.

IBCC wishes to thank the staff at the MOD Records Office and National Archives for their engagement and assistance in making this facility available to our website users.