Canadian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

Bob Wilton
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Re: Canadian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

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Stirling III BE472 HA-D RAF 218 Squadron RAF Downham Market Norfolk

Operation: Hannover Germany 27/28th September 1943

Stirling BE472 took off at 20:00 hours on Monday 27th September 1943,on an operation
to bomb targets at Hannover. In the vicinity of the German village of Bothfeld it was seen
flying at a medium height on a course of approximately 045 degrees,when it was hit by anti
aircraft fire.The aircraft then went into a steep dive,and just before it touched the ground it,
straightened out and skidded for about 200 metre's before hitting a tree.The force of impact
caused a large explosion, which was so great,that the aircraft was blown apart with its crew
still on board.The wreckage was strewn over a wide area. The time of the crash was between
22:00 hours and midnight,but no later.

After the crash members of a local flak battery arrived and were detailed to guard the crash
site until a Luftwaffe salvage unit arrived from Vahrenwald the next day.The salvage unit
then removed all the wreckage. The remains of the crew were handled by a firm of under-
takers from Lautenbach who arranged for the subsequent burial.

Source: Australian National Archive, Australian War Memorial,BCL 1943 W.R. Chorley,
Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Crew:

F/Lt. K.T. Balding D.F.C. R.A.A.F
Sgt. E. Otter R.A.F.
Sgt. G.A. Lawrenson R.A.F.
P/O. G.G. Hurst D.F.C. R.A.F.
F/O. W.N. Hamilton R.C.A.F.
Sgt. S.J. Harris R.A.F.
Sgt. J. McGovern R.A.F.

All the crew rest in Hannover War Cemetery,Germany.
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
Bob Wilton
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Re: Canadian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

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Bob Wilton
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Re: Canadian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

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Bob Wilton
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Re: Canadian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

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Bob Wilton
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Re: Canadian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

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Bob Wilton
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Re: Canadian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

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Re: Canadian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

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Re: Canadian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

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Re: Canadian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

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Short Stirling & RAF Bomber Command Forum

Lancaster III ND557 MG-F. RAF 7 Squadron. Operatation Stuttgart 15/16 March 1944

The crew of Lancaster ND557 took off from their base at 1939 hours on Wednesday 15th March after being briefed
to bomb a Target at Stuttgart. At approximately 2300 hours the aircraft was seen approaching the German village
of Tannheim, and a witness said that it was burning fiercely in the air,and was seen to crash and explode on impact.
The explosion was so great that it rocked the surrounding area and it was believed to have been carrying its full
bomb load. The crater was 100 feet wide and 25 feet deep,and the wreckage was spread over a very wide area.
The bodies of the eight crew members were recovered by a Luftwaffe unit,and were buried i and were on Tuesday
21st March in the village cemetery at Villingen. The wreckage of Lancaster ND557 was taken away by a Luftwaffe
salvage unit.

After the war the No:2 MREU visited the scene of the crash which was on a hillside directly on the boundaries of three
small villages, Tannheim,Welterdingen and Klengen, which are situated approximately 6 Km NW of Donauchingen.
Map reference: L.49/W.525330.

P/O D.A.Carter RAAF +
P/O P.H.Hamby RAF +
SGT H.P.Riddle RAF +
F/O K.C.Dyer RAAF +
F/O I.H.Nicholson RCAF +
SGT R.G.Ryder RAF +
F/S G.A.Johnston RAAF +
F/S R.S.Smith RAAF +

We Shall Remember Them
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Bob Wilton
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Re: Canadian Aircrew Crew Losses - WW2 Files

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Short Stirling & Bomber Command Forum

Lancaster I PA265 UL-O2 RAF 576 Squadron Operation Nurnberg 16/17 March,1945

The crew of Lancaster PA265 UL-O2 took of from their base at Fiskerton at 1725 hours
on an operation to Nurnberg Germany. At 2300 hours Herr Siechart of the village of
Wieseth stated that during the attack on Nurnberg during the evening of Friday 16th
March,1945,that an aircraft had crashed two kilometre west of the village and had
blown up on contact with the ground.

The owner of the wood Herr Karl Buekel was at the time of the crash was in his home,which
was situated approximately 200 yards from the crash scene went immediately to investigate.
As he was standing by the wreckage a parachutist, later to be identified as Sergeant Hall
the rear gunner came down close by him. Sergeant Hall wanted to approach the aircraft but,
was prevented from doing so as their was a live unexploded 4000 Lb bomb in the wreckage.
Herr Siechart took Sergeant Hall prisoner and handed him over the local Bürgermeister.

The six members of the crew were buried in the local village cemetery and was organised by
the Bergermeister who was also a local Ortsguppenleiter.The burial took place on Sunday the
18th March.

Later the American Army arrived and supervised the disposal of the bomb,and contacted a local
scrap dealer named Lechler who removed all the wreckage to his yard at Feuchtwangen.

After the war the RAF MREU discovered that the wartime Bürgermeister was in prison awaiting a
war crimes trial.

The Crew:

F/S J.F.Ryan RAAF +
Sgt J.E.Taylor RAFVR +
Sgt A.W.Garnet RCAF +
F/S K.L.Challis RAFVR +
Sgt D.W.E. Swift RAFVR +
Sgt J.Symonds RAFVR +
Sgt H.A.Hall RAFVR POW
Dicam ex animo. Sed nostri evocatis, ut debemus eis libertatem.
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