Bombing

The crew was returning to RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor following a bombing mission over Karlsruhe. En route, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German Messerschmitt Me.410 and crashed in Colony Farm, near Manea. A crew member was rescued while all six other occupants were killed. Claim by Lt Wolfgang Wenning Stab II/KG51 at an altitude of 1,000 meters.
Crew (76th Squadron):
P/O D.R. Dibbins, pilot,
Sgt G.J. Head, flight engineer,
Sgt K.C. Oswald, navigator,
F/S J.R. Bathe, bomb aimer,
Sgt J.G. Davenport, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt N.M. Harrison, mid upper gunner,
F/S J. Anderson, tail gunner.

The aircraft left RAF Witchford at 2151LT on April 24, on a bombing mission to Karlsruhe. On the return trip, while overflying Belgium by night, the bomber was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed in flames in a field located in Sint-Katelijne-Waver, northeast of Mechelen. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (115th Squadron):
P/O Robert R. Cagienard,
F/S Frederic A. Foster,
P/O Joseph M. M. Macleod,
Sgt William Shorten,
P/O Albert C. Letchner,
Sgt Frank D. King,
Sgt Charles P. Kelly.

The crew was engaged in a bombing mission. While overflying The Netherlands by night, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a pasture located in Dinteloord. All seven crewmen were killed.
Crew (640th Squadron):
P/O Reginald Earnshaw, pilot,
Sgt Charles Arthur Hensey, engineer,
Sgt Roger John Sampson, navigator,
Sgt William Mabon, radio operator,
F/S John Anthony Murphy, engineer,
Sgt William Alfred Pullen.
F/S John Riordan.

While overflying The Netherlands, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances, killing five of the seven crew members. The aircraft was on its way on a bombing mission to Karlsruhe. Crew from the 420th Squadron.

The crew left RAF Waddington in the evening on a bombing mission to Braunschweig. While overflying The Netherlands by night, the crew encountered unknown problems and the captain reduced his altitude in attempting an emergency landing. While flying at low height and while in flames, the bomber eventually went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion in a field located in Nieuwolda, east of Groningen. All seven crew members were killed and the aircraft was totally destroyed on impact.
Crew (463rd Squadron):
P/O Charles Schomberg, pilot,
F/L Hubert Petts, navigator,
F/P Leonard Calderwood, mid up gunner,
F/S James Harden, bomb aimer,
F/S Donald McDonald, tail gunner,
F/S Wilfred Millar, wireless operator,
Sgt Harry Steels, engineer.

The aircraft left RAF Oakington at 2124LT to attack the railway network at Laon, France. After dropping the bombs by night, the aircraft was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in a field located in Maizy. All seven crew members were killed. Claim by Uffz Konrad Beyer 1/NJG4 at an altitude of 2,800 meters.
Crew (7th Squadron):
P/O Percy Aslett, pilot,
F/S James Wilfred Bott, flight engineer,
P/O Hugh Boyd Cooper, navigator,
F/S Thomas Horton, air bomber,
F/S Laurence Alfred Scott, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Francis William Ingham, air gunner,
P/O Leon Francis George Noakes, air gunner.

While cruising at low height in poor weather conditions in the region of Saidor, the aircraft collided with a USAAF Lockheed F-5A Lightning registered 42-67350 and crashed. Four crew were killed while two others were injured. The fate of the second aircraft and its crew remains unknown.

En route, an engine failed, forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft into the Bismarck sea, east of the Kar Kar Island. While the aircraft was lost, all six occupants were rescued.

The aircraft disappeared in PNG without trace. All ten occupants were considered as deceased. The wreckage was eventually spotted in 2002.

The aircraft disappeared in PNG without trace. All eleven occupants were considered as deceased. The wreckage was eventually spotted in 2002.