ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 159181
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| Date: | Tuesday 21 November 1944 |
| Time: | 20:57 claim |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 49 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | PB300 |
| MSN: | EA-K |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | wooded area at Hörstel, Nordrhein-Westfalen -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Fulbeck, Lincolnshire |
21 November, 1944; GRAVENHORST (MITTELLAND CANAL): Whilst a 5 Group force of 123 Lancasters attacked the Dortmund-Ems Canal, 10 aircraft from 49 Squadron joined 128 other 5 Group Lancasters in bombing the Mittelland Canal at Gravenhorst. Take-off started just after 17.30hrs and included Group Captain 'Ginger' Weir (PB300), Fulbeck's irrepressible Station Commander, piloting K-King.
The Main Force, led by 6 Mosquitoes arrived in the target area shortly before 21.00hrs. Orbiting the target, the Controller originally ordered the forces to stay at pre-briefed bombing heights, but at 20.58 hours, he then ordered the Main Force to attack from below the cloud base which was given as 4,000 feet. These instructions were subjected to severe jamming of W/T which caused much confusion. The controller next ordered the crews to bomb the southern red T.I's as planned. Consequently some crews bombed through cloud and others from below, with the markers being visible through the cloud layers. In the light of photo flashes, some 49 crews did obtain visual identification and despite the communication problems, the canal was successfully breached.
49 Squadron de-briefs show that the crew's of F/Lt Len Mellor (PB373), F/O Jock Galloway and F/O Carlyle (PB484) bombed below the clouds, whilst five other crews bombed red T.I's from above. This just left the two aircraft being flown by F/O Maul (PB354) and Grp/Cpt Weir.
Both Lancasters were engaged by light Flak of the 8./schwere Flak-Abteilung 301 and the 5./leichte Flak-Abteilung 747 at a height of 800 metres.
The only survivor from this tragic incident was the Group Captain. His own remarkable escape, in which he was forcibly blown out of an exploding Lancaster does not confirm the cause, Grp/Cpt Weir had no recollection of what happened. He remembers regaining consciousness laying on his back on the muddy bottom of the breached and drained canal, his deployed parachute trailed behind. This miraculous saving of the Group Captain’s life would not have been possible but for two reasons; one, he wore a seat-type parachute and two, 5 Group's crews being successful in hitting their target and draining over 30 miles of the canal.
Lancaster PB300 (EA-K)
G/C C.T. Weir Pilot (P.o.W.)
F/O F.A. Wooding F/E (Killed)
S/L P. Kelly NAV (Killed)
P/O A.W. Bishop W/OP (Killed)
Sgt P. Telford A/G (Killed)
F/O H.W. Hayward B/A (Killed)
F/O A.R. Verrier A/G (Killed)
On the occasion of the 70th anniversary (22 November 2014) a memorial service was held in Gravenhorst to remember all those who died.
Sources:
1. Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 part five
2. http://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/Weir_CT
3. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
4. Google Maps
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 10 August 1943 | ED719 | 49 Sqn RAF | 0 | near Erfenbach, Kaiserslautern, Rheinland-Pfalz | |
w/o |
| 23 May 1944 | NE125 | 49 Sqn RAF | 7 | Crashed in a peat-bog 1km South of Hagen | |
w/o |
| 22 June 1944 | ND683 | 49 Sqn RAF | 7 | North Sea off Walcheren, Zeeland |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Aug-2013 08:42 | JINX | Added |
| 31-Dec-2014 00:41 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Jun-2015 10:11 | Xindel | Updated [Operator, Departure airport] |
| 09-Sep-2021 08:53 | TigerTimon | Updated [Date, Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 09-Sep-2021 08:53 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time] |
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