Southwark 'Pathfinder' on goodwill mission

Southwark 'Pathfinder' on goodwill mission

Top left - Arthur Pearce in the rear turret of a Lancaster.

Bottom right - Arthur Pearce leaning out of the rear door of a Lancaster rear turret which is rotated fully to port.

Bottom left - newspaper cutting title 'Southwark "Pathfinder" on goodwill mission'. States that Warrant Officer A.J. Pearce of Southwark will be a rear gunner of a Lancaster of 35 Squadron when it flies to the United States on a goodwill mission. 16 Lancasters and two Yorks will visit America to take part in Air Forces day on 1 August. They will visit New York, St Louis, Los Angeles, Denver, Long Beach, San Antonio and West Palm Beach. It adds that during the war W/O Pearce completed 44 operations including some with pathfinder force. He was awarded the DFM in December 1945.

1946-07

Two b/w photographs and one newspaper cutting mounted on an album page

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[photograph]

Southwark ‘Pathfinder’ on goodwill mission
WARRANT Officer A.J. Pearce, DFM, of 70, Whitworth House, Falmouth-rd., [sic] Southwark, is to be rear gunner of a Lancaster bomber of the famous No. 35 Squadron, RAF, when the unit flies to the United States shortly on a goodwill mission.
Altogether 16 Lancaster bombers and two York aircraft are to visit America to take part in Air Forces Day on August 1. They will visit New York, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Denver, Long Beach, California, San Antonio, Texas West, Palm Beach and Florida.
During the war W/O Pearce completed 44 operations against the enemy, including a period of service with the Pathfinder Force. He was awarded the DFM in December, 1945.
Born at Blackfriars in 1923, he was educated at St. Michael’s School, Camberwell, and he enlisted in March, 1943.
No. 35 Squadron is a veteran bomber and Pathfinder squadron and was to have formed part of “Tiger Force,” organised to join American Super-Fortresses, in bombing Japan.