Peter Carrie, Flight Engineer, Lukins crew – a new, wonderful story

Peter Carrie, Flight Engineer with the Lukin’s crew, now wearing his Flight Engineers Brevet, recently presented to him by Air Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, Deputy Chief of Defence for Military Capability. All rights recognised for original owner of the photograph.

Through being a member of a few RAF related Facebook pages, I came across a new and wonderful story regarding Peter Carrie, Flight Engineer with Bernard Lukin’s crew. If you recall, I was contacted a couple of months ago by Peter’s Grandson, Kerry, with news that Peter had just been award his Bomber Command Clasp – a very notable event as it meant that Peter was the only Chelsea Pensioner to hold the Clasp. I’m really pleased to pass on another award, this time of a Flight Engineers brevet.

I think the original post of this story (difficult to track sometimes on Facebook) come from the British Army Facebook page – I hope the original author doesn’t mind me reproducing the picture above, or a small extract from the full piece that can be read here.Chelsea Pensioner Sergeant Peter Carrie, a WWII Army and RAF Bomber Command veteran, has finally added a flight engineer brevet to his distinctive scarlet uniform.

Sergeant Carrie, born in Dundee in 1915, has the unique distinction of being the only Chelsea Pensioner eligible to have a Bomber Command Clasp because as well as his army service he served in the Royal Air Force in World War II as a flight engineer on Lancaster bombers.

It was only when he received his Clasp in April this year from General Sir Redmond Watt, the Governor of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, that staff realised Sergeant Carrie was ‘improperly dressed’ without his flight engineer brevet, which he was eligible to wear on his uniform along with his medals.

Sergeant Carrie served with 75(New Zealand) Squadron and survived many dangerous bombing missions against Nazi Germany including those on Hamburg and Wesel. Asked why he was in a New Zealand Squadron Sergeant Carrie 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 and after every mission we’d have a wee shot.”

Air Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, Deputy Chief of Defence for Military Capability, presented Sergeant Carrie with his missing brevet. He said: “Sergeant Carrie is extraordinary. The valour, the courage and commitment men like Sergeant Carrie showed during WWII was just exceptional, in Bomber Command, in the mission that they did, and sustained throughout that war.”