Veteran fight mechanic who celebrated 100th birthday at Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre dies

Fred Pearce celebrating his 100th anniversary at the Lincolnshire Aviation Centre in East Kirkby. The veteran, who was the last known wartime member of 207 Squadron, passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 22.

Fred Pearce worked on Lancasters at the former RAF Spilsby base during the Second World war and was the only surviving member of Bomber County's 207 Squadron.

He passed away peacefully on Saturday.

To mark his 100th birthday last June, family and friends organised a surprise visit to the aviation centre at East Kirkby on Armed Forces Day.

Fred Pearce (left) as a flight mechanic during the Second World War. Photo: Kevin Mapley

Fred was reunited with the Lancaster he had not seen for 10 years since his last visit

Current Wing Commander of 207 Squadron, Scott Williams of RAF Marham, also travelled up to the Centre to honour Fred with a special presentation.

The announcement of Fred's death was shared by the Friends of RAF Spilsby.

In a post on social media, the Friends paid tribute to him and the many thousands "who did their bit with their feet on terra firma".

They said he joined 207 Squadron as a Flight Mechanic in 1942 as part of ‘A’ Flight taking on charge, for obvious reasons, all the ‘F’ for Freddie coded Lancasters.

Fred moved with the Squadron from Bottesford to Langar in Leicestershire. It was from here Lancaster III ED586 EM-F took war correspondent Wynford Vaughan-Thomas and sound recordist Reg Pidsley to Berlin on 3/4 September 1943 to record the now famous BBC broadcast of that raid.

207 Squadron’s final move of the war was to Spilsby in Lincolnshire where Fred was to meet his future wife, Renee Willerton. They were happily married for 75 years.

Back in Civvy Street Fred and Renee moved to Surrey in 1947 where Fred worked with the South-East Electricity Board until his retirement. The couple moved back to Spilsby in 2003.

A poem written in 1942 by the late BBC comedian Eric Sykes, then an RAF Wireless Mechanic - Three Cheers for the Man on the Ground - remains very apt for Fred and the many thousands who did their bit with their feet on terra firma.

'Wherever you walk, you will hear people talk,

Of the men who go up in the air.

Of the dare-devil way, they go into the fray;

Facing death without turning a hair.

They’ll raise a big cheer and buy lots of beer,

For a pilot that’s home on leave;

But they don’t give a jigger,

For a flight mech, or rigger

With nothing but ‘props’ on his sleeve.

They just say ’Nice day’ and then turn away,

With never a mention of praise.

And the poor bloody erk who does all of the work;

Just orders his own beer,

And pays!

They’ve never been told, of the hours in the cold

That he spends sealing Germany’s fate.

How he works on a kite, till all hours of the night;

And then turns up next morning at eight.

He gets no rake-off for working ‘till take-off;

Or helping the aircrew prepare;

But whenever there’s trouble, it’s ‘Quick at the double’;

The man on the ground must be there.

Each flying crew could tell it to you;

They know what this man’s really worth.

They know he’s a part of the RAF’s heart,

Even though he stays close to the earth.

He doesn’t want glory, but please tell his story;

Spread a little of his fame around.

He’s one of a few, so give him his due;

Three cheers for the man on the ground.