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Geoffrey Rice - Aircrew Details - Aviation Directory

Geoffrey Rice


Name : Geoffrey Rice
Born : 4th January 1917
Died : November 1981

Awards :
Distinguished Flying Cross

Pilot Offcier geoffrey Rice was born on 4th January 1917. Geoff Rice joined the RAF in 1941 and was posted to No.57 Sqn on 20th February 1943. Joining No.617 Sqn on 26th March 1943, he was promoted to Flying Officer on 20th August 1943 and awarded the DFC on 16th November 1943. He was later promoted to Flight Lieutenant. He was shot down on 20th December 1943, but was hidden by the French Resistance for six months before being captured. He was taken prisoner of war until the end of the war, not returning to the UK until 10th May 1945. Geoff Rice passed away in November 1981 in Somerset. He was Pilot on Lancaster ED936 AJ-H of No.617 Sqn on the Dambusters raid of 16th May 1943. The aircraft clipped the surface of the North Sea while flying low en route to the target, ripping the Upkeep mine from the aircraft and scooping up some seawater. Amazing, the aircraft did not crash, and despite the rear gunner almost being washed away by the rush of seawater as the aircraft climbed, managed to return to base.

Known Service Details :

Squadron

Rank

Start of Service

End of Service

Known Dates

Aircraft

Airframes

Notes

No.57 Sqn RAF

20th February 1943

26th March 1943

No.617 Sqn RAF

Pilot Officer

26th March 1943

unknown

Lancaster

ED936

Artwork signed by this Pilot or Aircrew



Dambusters by Robert Taylor. (B)



Squadrons :
No.617 Sqn RAF
Pilots or Aircrew :
Geoffrey Rice
Richard MacFarlane
John William Thrasher
Edward Clarence Smith
Chester Bruce Gowrie
Thomas W Maynard
Stephen Burns
Historical Notes :
12-05-1943 - Joined No.617 Sqn
16-05-1943 - Took part in the Dambusters raid. Hit sea while flying at low level, lost Upkeep mine, scooped up seawater and very nearly crashed. As the aircraft climbed away from the water to return to base, the rear turret and gunner were almost swept away by the water. Aborted mission and returned to base. Crew : Pilot Officer Geoffrey Rice (Pilot), Sergeant Edward Clarence Smith (Flight Engineer), Flying Officer Richard MacFarlane (Navigator), Warrant Officer Chester Bruce Gowrie (Wireless Operator), Warrant Officer John William Thrasher (Bomb Aimer), Sergeant Thomas W Maynard (Front Gunner), Sergeant Stephen Burns (Rear Gunner).
29-07-1947 - Scrapped.

Known Individual Aircraft :

Type

Serial

Codes

First Flew

Squadron History

Aircrew History

History Notes

Engine

Factory

Lancaster

ED936

AJ-H

-

details

details

details




Aircraft for : Geoffrey Rice
A list of all aircraft associated with Geoffrey Rice. A profile page including a list of all art prints for the aircraft is available by clicking the aircraft name.
AircraftInfo

Lancaster



Click the name above to see prints featuring Lancaster aircraft.

Manufacturer : Avro
Production Began : 1942
Retired : 1963
Number Built : 7377

Lancaster

The Avro Lancaster arose from the avro Manchester and the first prototype Lancaster was a converted Manchester with four engines. The Lancaster was first flown in January 1941, and started operations in March 1942. By March 1945 The Royal Air Force had 56 squadrons of Lancasters with the first squadron equipped being No.44 Squadron. During World War Two the Avro Lancaster flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 618,378 tonnes of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Lancaster Bomberss took part in the devastating round-the-clock raids on Hamburg during Air Marshall Harris' Operation Gomorrah in July 1943. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor completed 139 operations, and the Lancaster was scrapped after the war in 1947. A few Lancasters were converted into tankers and the two tanker aircraft were joined by another converted Lancaster and were used in the Berlin Airlift, achieving 757 tanker sorties. A famous Lancaster bombing raid was the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley. The operation was carried out by 617 Squadron in modified Mk IIIs carrying special drum shaped bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Also famous was a series of Lancaster attacks using Tallboy bombs against the German battleship Tirpitz, which first disabled and later sank the ship. The Lancaster bomber was the basis of the new Avro Lincoln bomber, initially known as the Lancaster IV and Lancaster V. (Becoming Lincoln B1 and B2 respectively.) Their Lancastrian airliner was also based on the Lancaster but was not very successful. Other developments were the Avro York and the successful Shackleton which continued in airborne early warning service up to 1992.



Squadrons for : Geoffrey Rice
A list of all squadrons known to have been served with by Geoffrey Rice. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
SquadronInfo

No.57 Sqn RAF

Country : UK
Founded : 8th June 1916

Corpus non animum muto - I change my body not my spirit

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.57 Sqn RAF

No.57 Sqn RAF

Full profile not yet available.

No.617 Sqn RAF

Country : UK
Founded : 23rd March 1943

Apres mois, le deluge - After me, the flood

Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.617 Sqn RAF

No.617 Sqn RAF

Full profile not yet available.




Last edited : 12:22, May 16, 2013
Last editor : kc

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