Date & Time:
Apr 17, 1942 at 1655 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
L7536
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Waddington - Waddington
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
7
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew left RAF Waddington at 1512LT on a bombing mission to Augsburg, Germany. While overflying France, the aircraft was attacked by the pilot of a German fighter. With all four engines on fire, the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in flames in a field located six km southwest of Evreux. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew (44th Squadron):
Sgt George Thomas Rhodes, pilot,
Sgt Lawrence Heaton Baxter, pilot,
Sgt Brian Ignatius Joseph Daly, navigator,
Sgt Cyril Leonard Merricks, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt John Alfred Wynton, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt George Alfred Edwards, air gunner,
F/Sgt Henry Verdun, air gunner.
Crew (44th Squadron):
Sgt George Thomas Rhodes, pilot,
Sgt Lawrence Heaton Baxter, pilot,
Sgt Brian Ignatius Joseph Daly, navigator,
Sgt Cyril Leonard Merricks, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt John Alfred Wynton, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt George Alfred Edwards, air gunner,
F/Sgt Henry Verdun, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.
