Brian Coleman

A Sergeant with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Brian died on 2nd of December 1944 aged 22. 

Brian was born at Lowestoft on 1 November 1924, a son of Leonard E. and Bessie M. Coleman. In 1939 his family lived at 251 Victoria Road, Oulton Broad, and Brian was till at school.

Brian joined the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve after October 1942. In December 1944 he was a member of 70 Squadron based at Tortorella, Italy. 

On 2 December he was part of the crew of a Wellington X bomber, number LP239 'K' that was flying a Special Operations supply drop (possibly for S.O.E. agents or partisans) to Pridgard, Yugoslavia, when the aircraft flew into high ground near Manfredonia, north of San Marco, Italy, in bad weather.

WITH THANKS TO: Malcolm Barrass