Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster III in Le Chaumont: 6 killed
Date & Time:
Mar 15, 1944 at 2245 LT
Operator:
Registration:
JB474
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
East Kirkby AFB - East Kirkby AFB
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft left RAF East Kirkby (Lincolnshire) in the early evening with a crew of 7 on a bombing mission to Stuttgart. The aircraft successively flew over Normandy, Vosges and Belfort when the crew lost his orientation by night and in poor weather conditions. Instead of flying bound to the east for Stuttgart, the pilot continued to the south bound for Switzerland. When it arrived at the border between France and Germany, the bomber was attacked by the pilot of a German fighter Messerschmitt Me.110G. The aircraft caught fire but the crew was able to continue for few minutes before the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a prairie located in Le Chaumont, southeast of Saignelégier, Jura, Switzerland. Six crew were killed while the seventh occupant was later rescued. He was able to bail out with his parachute when the aircraft was at a height of some 1,000 meters.
Crew (57th Squadron):
Sam Atcheson, pilot,
Anthony McCall, navigator,
Sergeant Jack Greenhalgh, armourer
Sergeant Brian Thomas, engineer,
Sergeant Frank Weaver, radio,
Sergeant James Naylor,
Sergeant Kenneth Reece, gunner, the only survivor.
Source: www.retrotrame.ch
Crew (57th Squadron):
Sam Atcheson, pilot,
Anthony McCall, navigator,
Sergeant Jack Greenhalgh, armourer
Sergeant Brian Thomas, engineer,
Sergeant Frank Weaver, radio,
Sergeant James Naylor,
Sergeant Kenneth Reece, gunner, the only survivor.
Source: www.retrotrame.ch
Probable cause:
Short down.
