The Airmen's Stories - F/O E C Briese

Carl Briese of New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada joined the RCAF Special Reserve as an Aircrafthand on 22nd August 1935. He learned to fly in 1937 and he was later commissioned as a pilot.
He arrived in the UK with 1 (RCAF) Squadron on 20th June 1940.

Above: Briese at Prestwick, October 1940.

Above image courtesy of Aircrew Remembered.

He served with the squadron throughout the Battle of Britain and was still serving with it in February 1941. He was repatriated to Canada in 1942.

Briese was given command of 128 (RCAF) Squadron at Sydney, Nova Scotia on 27th August. The squadron operated Hurricanes on East Coast defence. He was posted away on 18th April 1943.

His subsequent service is currently undocumented though he stayed in the RCAF postwar and retired on 20th August 1962 as a Wing Commander.

He died in Canada on 20th November 1983.

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His brother W/Cdr. Richard Gustav Briese was killed on 22nd October 1941 when Catalina I AH566 of 413 Squadron failed to return from a reconnaissance mission to Tromso. He is buried in Trondheim (Stavne) Cemetery.