Sgt Lionel Miller Petersen RAF (550699).
Lionel Petersen was born in Carlisle on 1st January 1919 and was the son of Charles M and Daisy (nee Fuller) Petersen. His father was born in Newcastle on Tyne and his mother was born in South
Africa. His father is on the 1901 Census as living with his family in Jesmond working for an insurance company. His parent's marriage wasn't registered in England or Wales, it could be that his
father went to South Africa with his job where he met and married before returning to Northern England. In the 1921 Census Lfamily was living at Wetherall, Carlisle with his father working as an
insurance manager for the Liverpool, London and Globe Insurance Company at their Carlisle office. He had older siblings Charles and Dorothy.
As a result of the crash to Wellington R3154 on 1st May 1940 in the Rosedale area he sustained slight injuries but soon recovered as he was flying operationally by mid-May 1940. Sgt
Petersen is shown on the back row third from left in this photograph of B-Flight of 115 Squadron taken in April 1940. He appears to have been taken off operational flying by July 1940
as on 27th July 1940 he was flying in Anson R9538 with 20 OTU based at Lossiemouth. Their aircraft took off for a cross country training flight, while the aircraft was returning to base
it flew into high ground to the east of Inverness on Carn nan Tri-tighearnan. All on board survived but he sustained a cut to the head and leg. His injuries were treated in Elgin Hospital
and at this time his parents were living at Parkstone, Dorset.
Lionel Miller Petersen was later killed flying with 159 Squadron in North Africa on 23rd August 1942 when Liberator AL537 was shot down on ops to bomb Tobruk harbour. He is commemorated on the Alamein Memorial.
