The Last Crew of Lancaster ED 549 100 Squadron - Canoe

The Last Crew of 

Lancaster ED 549 

100 Squadron 

“Don’t let anyone attack the hornet’s nest” 

Authority King George VI November 1937 

Tim Chamberlin 

Michael Hardwick

The Crew 

Rene Grey Russell John Alan 

Landry Cumberbatch Avey Robinson Spence 

Scratch marks appearing on the aircraft were made by the censor 

© Tim Chamberlin and Michael Hardwick – August 2012

The Last Crew of Lancaster ED 549 100 Squadron 


Early in the morning of the 5 th March 1943, Dennis Kirk was on ARP duty when he 

heard the sound of an aircraft approaching, it was obviously in trouble and the engines 

sounded like they were starved of petrol. 

The Battle Order states that it had been 

fuelled for the flight with 1,850 gallons. The 

aircraft passed overhead and then crashed 

about a quarter of a mile from Plungar 

(Leics) in the direction of Langar airfield 

(Notts). Dennis and his 

group 

rushed 

towards the 

scene to render 

assistance they found one dazed survivor on the railway 

line. They asked him if there were any bombs on-board 

and he was able to reply that they had already been 

dropped, sadly all the other crew members they found 

were dead. Personnel arrived from RAF Langar and 

took control of the crash site. A fire tender arrived from 

Melton Mowbray and the crew promptly “mashed some 

tea”. 

The aircraft had already aborted two landings at other 

airfields and was obviously attempting to get in at Langar 

They were diverted from their home base of Waltham 

because of fog in the area. It would appear that the pilot, 

towards the end of an 8 hour flight, was struggling to 

maintain height and control which could indicate that it 

had suffered battle damage. Subsequent examination 

revealed a mechanical problem with the port inner 

engine. The crash is timed at 0308 on 5/3/1943, 

the aircraft was a Lancaster 111 ED 549 100 

Squadron HW S. This evening was a “quiet” night for 

Bomber Command prior to the commencement of the 

Battle of the Ruhr. 6 Mosquitoes had flown to the Ruhr 

and 27 aircraft had been mine-laying (the role of the 

crashed aircraft, target Bayonne), 16 aircraft were from 

Operational Training Units from which one Wellington 

This piece of the aircraft was recovered from 

the crash site a few years ago by Plungar 

resident ‘John Bolton’. 

He donated it to the 100 Squadron Museum in 

Waltham. On the day of the service it was 

installed in the church porch as a poignant 

reminder of the fateful crash. 

was lost and a Lancaster was presumed lost over the target area. Subsequent official 

reports state that the aircraft ED 549 ‘burnt out on the ground’ but this is an error and 

Dennis Kirk has determinedly tried to correct this inaccuracy. 

© Tim Chamberlin and Michael Hardwick – August 2012 Page 1


100 Squadron was formed in February 1917 and by December 1942 was operating 

from Waltham (Grimsby) Lincs where it remained until April 1945. It had only begun to 

fly Lancasters against Germany in March of 1943. The Squadron was part of No 1 

Group Bomber Command based in North Lincolnshire. The Group’s operations cost 

the lives of 8,577 British and Commonwealth airmen. 100 Squadron lost its last two 

crews from Waltham on the 16 th March 1945, raiding Nuremburg. That brought the 

tally to 89 Lancasters lost in 25 months flying for the Squadron. 

Rene Grey Russell John Alan 

Landry Cumberbatch Avey Robinson Spence 

Scratch marks appearing on the aircraft were made by the censor 

The crew of “our” Lancaster took off from Grimsby at 1838 on the 4/3/1943 they were; 

Flight Sergeant G.R.Avey, RCAF Pilot, Killed 

Sergeant B.T. Hallett, Flight Engineer, Killed 

Sergeant A.H.Spence, Navigator, Killed 

Sergeant G.D. Cumberbatch, Air Bomber, Killed 

Sergeant J. Robinson, Wireless Operator, Killed 

Sergeant D.S. Davies, Air Gunner (Mid-Upper) Injured 

Flight Sergeant R. R. Landry, RCAF Air Gunner (Rear) Killed 

Page 2 © Tim Chamberlin and Michael Hardwick – August 2012


Armed forces personnel who lost their lives in the UK were normally buried at locations 

requested by close relatives, this was obviously not possible with the many overseas 

members serving and so three of the crew were buried at Long Bennington 

(St Swithun) churchyard on 10 th March 1943, they are; 

Flight Sergeant Gerald Russell Avey aged 21 the son of Mr and Mrs J.A. Avey, of 

Norwich, Ontario, Canada 

Flight Sergeant Rene Rodger Landry aged 23 Son of Mr and Mrs O. Landry, of 

Norman, Ontario, Canada. 

Sergeant Grey Doyle Cumberbatch aged 21 son of Mr and Mrs C.W. Cumberbatch, of 

St. Michael, Barbados. 

Sergeant Benjamin Thomas Hallett aged 23 the son of Mr & Mrs W. H. Hallett of 

Fratton, Portsmouth was buried at Portsmouth (Kingston) cemetery. 

Sergeant John Robinson aged 34, the son of Mr & Mrs R. Robinson and husband of 

Isabella was buried at Thornton-Le-Fylde Churchyard. 

Sergeant Alan Havelock Spence aged 32 the son of Mr & Mrs A. Spence and husband 

of Florence Irene was buried at North Sunderland cemetery. 

Dennis Kirk still lives in Plungar and he has a very clear picture in his mind of the 

events of that fateful night. He always felt that this gallant crew should be recognised 

with a tangible memorial close to the spot where their young lives were ended. After 

many years this hope is at last fulfilled. 

A long overdue memorial to the 55,573 men who were killed flying with Bomber 

Command during the second world war was unveiled by Her Majesty the Queen on a 

beautiful sunny day in Green Park, London on Thursday 28 th June this year (see front 

cover). 

The make up of ‘our’ crew represented the mix of those who served. Two Canadians, 

a Barbadian and four from the United Kingdom. The Canadian official authorities and 

relatives were most generous in their help with information and so were the 

Cumberbatch family in Barbados. Despite our best efforts no relatives of the U.K. crew 

members were located. It is 

believed that Sergeant Davies who was the sole survivor of the crash was not a 

casualty later in the war. We are hopeful that further information will eventually come 

to light to complete the picture. 



Letter from Mr & Mrs Avey to Mr & Mrs Landry 7/4/1943 

Dear Friends, 

In reply to your letter, we regret to relate we are the party to whom you 

infer. Upon learning that you too have lost a dear son in this terrible war, we feel, we 

as parents can surely sympathise with each other. Rene, recently before his death, 

sent us a picture of himself & his crew & we thought at the time what fine looking boy 

your son was. He also remarked what a fine bunch of fellows they were. 

We have another son in 

England who is in the army & 

was able to attend the funeral. 

He has written to us 

information of only one 

escaping & six being killed of 

the crew. He also mentioned 

that they were given a fine 

burial with full military 

honours. 

May I add that we are more 

than pleased to hear from 

you but we cannot read or 

write French & had to have it 

translated for us, but if you 

would care to write back to 

us we would certainly 

appreciate it. 

Our sympathy goes out to 

you in this your hour of 

sorrow. 

Yours very sincerely 

Mr & Mrs James Avey. 



Rene Landry’s parents were French Canadian and had obviously written to the Aveys 

in French. Russell’s mother Agnes was born in Bristol, England. 

Russell Avey’s interview on 27/3/1942 stated that he was a ‘rugged’ type at 5’10’’ and 

168 lbs. He had a private pilot’s licence with 14 hours flying and was recommended for 

training as a Pilot or Observer (Navigator) 



Tribute from John Avey 

After all these years 

Written by John Avey July 2012 

On my birthday each July 22 nd , I give thanks for each passing year. He can’t. He never 

made it to his 22 nd birthday. As I groan into middle age with my aches and pains, I 

increasingly feel my mortality. He will never grow old. In my lifetime, I have been 

accorded some measure of praise for my achievements. It has taken him 69 years to 

receive his. 

Recently, Queen Elizabeth unveiled the Bomber Command Memorial in Green Park, 

London. A fitting but sadly long overdue commemoration to the courageous young 

men of Bomber Command; 125,000 of them (including 50,000 Canadians) who, at an 

average age of 22, took to the skies night alter endless, night in their Wimpeys, 

Blenheims, Mosquitoes, Halifaxes, and Lancasters; some of our brightest and best 

meeting head on a relentless, desperate foe over the deadly skies of Germany and 

occupied Europe. The carnage was horrible; the futility and waste of war brutally on 

display. Nearly half of these airmen (55,573) failed to return; 10,000 of them were 

Canadian and he was one of them. 

He lies at rest with his comrades in St. Swithun Churchyard at Long Bennington, 

Lincolnshire. 

Many Canadian and Commonwealth families hold these young men dear with pride 

and reverence. He, too, is cherished. Nearly seven decades after his death; his family 

keeps alive his memory with photos and stories of fond remembrance. 

They have often wondered about his fate. His bomber crashed returning from a 

mission off the coast of France. It was his first as pilot and commander. He and five of 

his six crew members were killed. A somewhat sterile report from the Department of 

National Defense is all they have of the crash and his final hours. The rest is mere 

conjecture. They have longed to know more. 

Now a Mr. Dennis Kirk might be able to help. As a young man, he was on Air Raid 

Precaution duty when he saw a distressed and labouring aircraft passing overhead to 

crash shortly afterwards a quarter of a mile from Plungar, Leicestershire and mere 

meters from the runway of nearby RAF Langar airfield. It was him; his crippled 

Lancaster plunging to earth so heartbreakingly close to safety, home and life. 



Dennis Kirk is an old man now. He has long harboured a hope to meet the 

descendants and relatives of this fated aircrew and share his memories and 

impressions of that fateful night. It, too, is his fervent wish these young men be 

honoured and memorialized in some way for their sacrifice. Mr. Kirk is about to get his 

wish. Parts of the aircraft have been discovered and unearthed and a monument to be 

placed and dedicated this autumn at the scene of the crash. 

The last surviving sibling of the pilot’s family, a 94-year-old brother was invited to the 

dedication but for health reasons has sadly declined. So his son and two daughters will 

proudly participate alongside six cousins from his family. They will visit his grave at 

Long Bennington, journey to the crash site and meet and reminiscence with Dennis 

Kirk; a memorable and poignant pilgrimage for all concluding with a memorial service 

in St. Helen Anglican Church, Plungar and a fly-past by one of only two Lancasters still 

flying in the world; an appropriate closure and stirring finale to the proceedings. 

I’m a small-town boy from Norwich, Ontario who followed his dream in becoming an 

opera singer and was fortunate enough to sing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York 

City. 

He, too, was a small- town boy from Norwich, Ontario. He, also, had a dream. He 

wanted to fly and he followed it to the end. 

From the halls of Valhalla, Flight Sergeant Gerald Russell Avey, 100 th Squadron, RAF 

Bomber Command killed March 5 th , 1943 can rest easy. He and his fellow denizens of 

the air are now, at long last and for time immemorial, rightfully recognized for their 

courage, achievements and sacrifice; these monuments in London and Leicestershire, 

apt and honourable tributes for future generations to see, marvel and ponder. 

Oh, my name? John Avey. And I will proudly be attending the dedication. After all, he 

is my uncle and that 94 year-old man---well, he’s my father. 

John Avey was born in Norwich, Ontario 

Canada and now lives in Montreal, 

Quebec, Canada. 



Letter to Charlie Bailey 

Flight Sergeant Gerald Russell Avey 

Service Number: R/99993 

Force: 

Air Force 

Regiment: Royal Canadian Air Force 

Unit: 

100 (R.A.F.) Sqdn 

Letter to Charlie Bailey 

Jan 14, 1943 

Dear Charlie 

This is a letter I have been wanting to get off for a long while and I am very sorry that I 

didn’t. Doug tells me you fellows have been doing some practicing on the runners, 

wish that Clarence and I had been there. That is one thing we really miss over here 

since the weather is so mild compared to ours. We have slight cold snaps with a touch 

of snow but nothing cold enough for ice. Even at that it is a change to have such mild 

weather in the winter. Right now it is like a spring night and being the middle of 

January it is quite difficult for me to believe. Seems like some season I have never 

experienced before. 

No doubt you have heard from the fellows how things are going for me over here. 

Really at the last school for operations now and it has been a long grind. Never 

thought I would get to the finish, even now I shouldn’t use the past tense as we have a 

while to go yet. Takes a little time to go from a service trainer onto operational planes. 

We (the crew) are on four engined planes now and that is what we will do our 

operations on. There are seven to a complete crew so it is a few to look after. At OTU 

we only had five but that was with a smaller aircraft, with the “heavies" there are two 

more added. I wish I could tell you more about the flying over here but it would be 

stopped so there is not much sense in writing it. Even if I haven’t been on any 

operational flights yet, we have gone through some great experiences. 

One night we were caught in an electrical storm, well it was raining as hard as it could 

possibly rain which made the plane leak and that didn’t make it any more comfortable 

for us. After we had been in it for a while I noticed the front turret glowing and then I 

looked at the port motor. Then I got a shock the end of the propeller was glowing and 

of course that made a huge arc of this bluish light. It was very fascinating to watch. The 

plane, I believe picks up electrical charges in the clouds and that causes all this light. 

The guns in the rear turret had sparks jumping from one to the other like a large spark 

plug. Anyway it was fun while it lasted. 



In the clippings from the Gazette I see that you had a team in the town league. From 

Doug’s letters they used to have some good games. The home town seems to be (I 

will use an English expression) pulling the finger. What a collection of sayings these 

English have. There is one thing they should have and that is an arena. It would be 

tops then and it could have it to. 

Roy, Clarence and myself all managed to be at Aunt Flo’s for Christmas. That is 

mother’s sister over here also she has a father living and a grand old fellow he is. 

Eighty-eight years old and his mind is a keen as a whip and he has a real sense of 

humour too. He has some difficulty getting around as he is troubled with a bad knee. 

We all had a good Christmas and was it ever swell to be all together especially since 

Roy had only been over a week. Received all the latest news from him. 

No doubt you wonder what I think of England and the people. Well, Charlie, I don’t see 

so very much difference except the money is somewhat queer and the cars drive on 

the wrong side of the road. England is a very pretty country with its checkerboard fields 

and neat hedges. It is very neat and from the air looks like as well kept garden. Some 

of the towns are very quaint but one soon gets used to them. The people are just the 

same as far as I am concerned. As for being over here I haven’t minded it one bit and I 

have enjoyed some of it very much and wouldn’t have missed it for anything. 

Well it is about time to pack and I hope I haven’t bored you too much talking about 

flying. Hope to hear from you soon and all best for the New Year. 

Your good friend, 

Russ 

P.S. Hope to see you back home soon. 

Sadly, Russell made the supreme sacrifice and died serving his country 

on 5 th March 1943. 

He is buried at, Long Bennington (St. Swithun) Churchyard. 

Lincolnshire, 

United Kingdom 

Grave Reference: Grave B1. 

“We shall never forget the foundations of courage on which Canada is built”. 



G R Avey Artefacts 





Rene Rodger Landry Letter 

To my sweetheart my darling mother, 

It is apparent now that I will go overseas. Therefore it will 

be impossible to bury my remains in my home town. A last 

and final wish I hope you my darling mother will grant me. You 

have been an outstanding mother both Christianly and 

particularly to one in uniform. Mom you have earned your 

reward on earth I hope we meet in heaven, your eternal 

reward. My wish is a 

requiem high Mass be 

Rene and his Mother 

sung for me with a 

smart coffin, covered 

with a Union Jack and a Norman 

Hawke sweater (No. 2) (Sid Farstrome 

Kennia). I want also that Ave Maria by Treno 

played by Mrs C. Pearson of Norman, 

Ontario, and Holy God we Praise Thy Name 

by the regular choir. I want Reverend Father 

to say a word of my love for the children of 

Norman, my parents and country. I had 

plans for a recreation centre for the Norman 

kiddies when I returned home 

Dear Mother God wanted it this way and I 

am glad to go after doing my duty as a 

Catholic and a Canadian. You and Dad 

were the best parents anyone could wish 

for, so dear Mom and Dad good bye only 

for a little while when we will meet again in 

paradise. Mother your sons were all brave, 

that alone is a consolation to you, no-one 

can say the Landrys’ were yellow. Hoping 

God takes good care of you and gives you 

your well earned reward – heaven. 

Your ever loving son who has died that you may live. 

------------- ---------- to the sky 

God Bless you 

Rene xxx 



Rene had produced outline designs for the sport centre in his home town with 

dimensions and his ideas for how the children of the community would benefit. In his 

memory after the war, his dream became reality. 



Rene Rodger Landry - Attestation Paper details. Winnipeg 

Could speak and write English & French. Keen Ice Hockey player. 

Occupation Jig & Toolmaker ( Worked 10 months in aircraft factory ) 

Height 5’ 9½’’ 

Air Gunners Badge awarded 25/5/42 

Departed Halifax, Nova Scotia for UK 27/5/42 

7 th Air Gunnery School 11/8/42 

28 Operational Training School 1/9/42 

1656 Conversion Unit 30/12/42 

100 Squadron 8/1/43 

R. Landry – Course 79 Class 1. #7 AGS 

[Third from left on the top row] 

With fellow gunners 

#7 Air Gunners School 

Stormy Down 

South Glamorgan 

England 

11/8/1942 to 1/9/1942 



Rene Rodger Landry - Artefacts 



Rene and Oscar 

Taken 26 th December 1942 

Rene Oscar and Paul 



Sergeant Grey Doyle Cumberbatch 

Sergeant Cumberbatch, won a Scholarship to go to College, 

he represented the school at Cricket and was an 

accomplished musician. 

Attested into RAF 31 st December 1940 

Arrived Liverpool 2 nd Contingent 

Qualified as Navigator & Air Bomber ( Bomb Aimer) 

Errol Barrow Prime Minister 1966-1976 

Grey Cumberbatch is on the extreme left of the picture 

Grey Cumberbatch was the eldest child and only son of Charles Wilkinson 

Cumberbatch and Ocatavia Ceciliy Cumberbatch née Jordan . He was born 2nd June 

1921 and baptised 23rd July 1921 as Greystone Doyle Cumberbatch at St. Lucy 

Parish Church. Two of his younger sisters are still alive. His father was Charles 

Wilkinson Cumberbatch who was headmaster at St Giles School. Grey Cumberbatch 

himself was a graduate of Harrison College , Barbados, which was (and apparently 

still is) a prestigious secondary school. 

He was part of the Barbados Second 

Contingent of twelve young men who 

joined the RAF, one of whom - E W 

Barrow - survived the war to become the 

first Prime Minister of Barbados. 

In 2008 the Barbados Postal Service 

issued a set of stamps commemorating 

their men who served in the Royal Air 

Force in WW2 - (see above and right). 



Sergeant John Robinson 

Sergeant John Robinson (Wireless Operator) died 

in the crash aged 34, the son of Mr & Mrs R. 

Robinson and husband of Isabella was buried at 

Thornton-Le-Fylde Churchyard. 

John Robinson was a 

Fylde coach bus driver 

and was due home on 

leave on the very day that 

he was killed. He was a 

native of Fulwood, 

Preston and moved to 

Thornton in 1933 when 

he married Isabella. 

Benjamin Thomas Hallett and Alan Havelock Spence, 

Sergeant Benjamin Thomas Hallett (Flight Engineer) died in the crash aged 23 the 

son of Mr & Mrs W. H. Hallett of Fratton, Portsmouth was buried at Portsmouth 

(Kingston) cemetery. 

Sergeant Alan Havelock Spence (Navigator) died in the crash aged 32 the son of Mr 

& Mrs A. Spence and husband of Florence Irene was buried at North Sunderland 

cemetery. 

Currently no further details are known about, Sergeants, Hallett and Spence. 



The Crash 

The crash is timed at 0308 on 5 th March 1943, the aircraft was a Lancaster 111 ED 

549 100 Squadron HW S. This evening was a “quiet” night for Bomber Command. 

Subsequent official reports state that the aircraft ED 549 ‘burnt out on the ground’ but 

this is an error and Dennis Kirk has determinedly tried to correct this inaccuracy. 

. 



Funeral and Graves 

Russell Avey’s brother Clarence and Rene’s brother Oscar both serving in the 

Canadian Army in the UK attended the funeral at, St Swithun Churchyard, Long 

Bennington, on 10 th March 1943. 



The graves have been carefully tended over the years and there is a plaque in the 

church to the memory of the three men and kneelers with their names clearly marked 

Kneelers and Plaque Inside The Church 



The Memorial 

To be carved in stone and erected on the footpath of the Grantham Canal, close to the crash site

The Last Crew of Lancaster ED 549 100 Squadron - Canoe

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