Dunkirk survivor and RAF bomb raids hero dies at 102
A SECOND World War hero who was evacuated from Dunkirk and survived daring bombing raids against the Nazis has died at 102.
Born in Dundee, Sergeant Peter Carrie served in the Army and then the RAF as a flight engineer on Lancaster bombers.
Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, the Chief of the Air Staff, tweeted yesterday that he was “sad” to learn that Chelsea Pensioner Sgt Carrie had died.
Posting an image of himself with Sgt Carrie, Sir Stephen said he was proud to represent Sgt Carrie with his “flight engineer brevet” back in 2014 – 70 years after he was first awarded the honour.
He was reawarded the Bomber Command Clasp after it came to light that he was “improperly dressed” without the flight engineer brevet, which he was eligible to wear on his distinctive scarlet Chelsea Pensioner’s uniform, along with his medals.
Sir Stephen described Sgt Carrie as “extraordinary”.
He said: “The valour, the courage and commitment men like Sgt Carrie showed during the Second World War was just exceptional, in Bomber Command, in the mission that they did and sustained throughout that war.” Sgt Carrie served with 75 (New Zealand) Squadron, surviving bombing missions against Nazi Germany, including those on Hamburg and Wesel.
The squadron flew more missions than any other Allied heavy bomber squadron and suffered the second highest casualties among the Allied squadrons.
The RAF Bomber Command campaign in which Sgt Carrie fought saw the horrific loss of more than 55,000 aircrew out of 125,000.
This equated to a death toll of nearly 45 per cent.
Once asked why he was in a New Zealand Squadron, he said: “The Kiwis came over but were short of men on some squadrons so I joined them.
“They used to have drink sent over from home.
“After every mission, we’d have a wee shot.”
Sgt Carrie’s RAF service came after he served in the Army, which he joined in 1934, aged 19.
He was posted to the Khyber Pass, now near the Afghanistan and Pakistan border, where he saw active service and was wounded.
Sgt Carrie later saw active service in France at the beginning of the war.
But he was badly wounded and evacuated from Dunkirk in 1940.
The injuries he sustained prevented him from continuing his service with the Army.
He then joined the RAF’s Bomber Command in 1943 and served until he was demobbed in 1946.