Date:	Wednesday 7 March 1945
Time:	21:50 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk III
Owner/operator:	550 Sqn RAF
Registration:	PA995
MSN:	BQ-V
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 7
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Hoppenstedt, Bühne, Sachsen-Anhalt -   Germany
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF North Killingholme
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Mission to Dessau. Takeoff was at 16:59 hrs.

The Lanc was shot down by a Junkers Ju 88 night fighter.
Fg Off Jones RCAF and Fg Off Buckmaster have no known graves, while WO2 Harvey RCAF lies in the Nederweert War Cemetery, having been brought from Margraten. Sgt Smith escaped in late March, contacting American Forces. He returned to his unit on 11 April:

Crew:-Pilot : Flying Officer Cyril John Jones RCAF J/88066 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant S J Webb RAF [PoW]
Navigator : Flying Officer John Buckmaster RCAF J/38727 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Pilot Officer Leslie Wallace Harvey RCAF J/95281 [Killed]
Wireless Operator : Sergeant F M Main RAF [PoW]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant S Pelham RAF [PoW]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant Maurice Braham Smith RAF [PoW]

1.This Lancaster was accepted by 550 Squadron on 29 May 1944, and named "The Vulture Strikes!". When lost, its operational sortie tally had exceeded the century mark ; no flying hour total recorded.
2. Avro Lancaster PA995 BQ-V 550 Squadron completed 100 sorties and flew for 600+ hours.

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1945 Page 121.
3. Avro Lancaster The Definitive Record Second Edition (Harry Holmes)
4. SGLO database - https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/ahome/lossregister/results?sglo=T5354B
5. https://www.lancaster-archive.com/lanc-noseart-t-u.htm
6. Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1945
7. http://www.550squadronassociation.org.uk/
8. https://wo2sacrifies.jouwweb.nl/blog-oorlogsgraven-nederweert/582036_leslie-wallace-harvey-1922-1945
9. Google Maps
10. https://aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=PA995&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
11. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database

Other occurrences involving this aircraft

17 June 1944	ME840	550 Sqn RAF	6	Heelweg 78, Varsseveld, Gelderland		w/o
14 August 1944	PD208	550 Sqn RAF	7	Wansford, Northamptonshire		w/o

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
25-Aug-2013 10:55	JINX	Added
29-May-2016 16:29	Red Dragon	Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
18-Oct-2018 17:30	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator]
27-Jun-2022 15:14	TigerTimon	Updated [Date, Time, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative]
15-Nov-2022 18:24	PaulJB	Updated [Source, Narrative, Category, Photo]
09-Mar-2024 14:06	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative]