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Archive Report: Allied Forces

Compiled from official National Archive and Service sources, contemporary press reports, personal logbooks, diaries and correspondence, reference books, other sources, and interviews.
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R.A.F. Crest
26.07.1942 No. 1401 Flt. Mosquito FB. IV DK289 F/O. Leonard J. Dejace

Operation: Pampa Flight (1)

Date: 26th July 1942 (Sunday)

Unit: No. 1401 Flight

Type: Mosquito FB. IV

Serial: DK289

Base: RAF Bircham Newton, Norfolk, England.

Location: North Sea off Lista, Norway

Pilot: F/O. Leonard Joseph Dejace 81632 RAFVR Age 33. Killed

Nav: Sgt. George Anthony Prag 1260484 RAFVR Age 22. Missing

REASON FOR LOSS:

During a flight to gather weather information for Coastal Command operations it is understood that DK289 was shot down off the Lista peninsular in the North Sea by Lt Dieter Gerhardt of JG1.

     

Left: F/O. Leonard Joseph Dejace (courtesy Johny Recour)

The body of the pilot was later washed up on the Norwegian coastline but the navigator was never found.

(1) Pampa - Photo-recce And Meteorological Photography Aircraft.

Burial Details:

F/O. Dejace was first buried at the Arendal Hogedal Cemetery in Norway, reinterred on the 12th May 1960 in Belgium. His headstone still remains at Arendal and is inscribed: Mort au combat pour écraser l'oppression des peuples, et libérer son pays (Died in battle to crush the oppression of peoples and liberate his country)

F/O. Leonard Joseph Dejace. Liege (Robermont) Cemetery. Grave 10.54.4/5. Chevalier de l''Ordre de Leopold II, Croix de Guerre avec Palme (Belgium). Son of Joseph and Lambertine Dejace, of Liege, Belgium. Further information: Born in Liege, Belgium on the 24th January 1909, joining the Belgian Air Force in 1927. After the fall of France escaped on the Polish ship ’Sobieski’, arriving in England on the 27th June 1940. First served with 236 Squadron before joining 272 Squadron flying Beaufighters. In October 1941 joined the meteorological flight.

Sgt. George Anthony Prag. Runnymede Memorial. Panel 91. Son of Louis and Ellen Grace Prag, of Wanstead, Essex, England.

Researched for relatives of the crew, with thanks to the following for further information, John Recour from Belgium, RAF command Forum, Aircrew Remembered own archives. Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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Acknowledgements
Sources used by us in compiling Archive Reports include: Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vols. 1-9, plus ongoing revisions', Dr. Theo E.W. Boiten and Mr. Roderick J. Mackenzie - 'Nightfighter War Diaries Vols. 1 and 2', Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt - 'Bomber Command War Diaries', Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Tom Kracker - Kracker Luftwaffe Archives, Michel Beckers, Major Fred Paradie (RCAF) and MWO François Dutil (RCAF) - Paradie Archive (on this site), Jean Schadskaje, Major Jack O'Connor USAF (Retd.), Robert Gretzyngier, Wojtek Matusiak, Waldemar Wójcik and Józef Zieliński - 'Ku Czci Połeglyçh Lotnikow 1939-1945', Archiwum - Polish Air Force Archive (on this site), Anna Krzystek, Tadeusz Krzystek - 'Polskie Siły Powietrzne w Wielkiej Brytanii', Franek Grabowski, Norman L.R. Franks 'Fighter Command Losses', Stan D. Bishop, John A. Hey MBE, Gerrie Franken and Maco Cillessen - Losses of the US 8th and 9th Air Forces, Vols 1-6, Dr. Theo E.W. Boiton - Nachtjagd Combat Archives, Vols 1-13. Aircrew Remembered Databases and our own archives. We are grateful for the support and encouragement of CWGC, UK Imperial War Museum, Australian War Memorial, Australian National Archives, New Zealand National Archives, UK National Archives and Fold3 and countless dedicated friends and researchers across the world.
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