ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 159265
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| Date: | Thursday 2 November 1944 |
| Time: | 19:30 LT |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 49 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | PB385 |
| MSN: | EA-V |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Golzheim, Merzenich, Nordrhein-Westfalen -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Fulbeck, Lincolnshire |
| Dusseldorf |
2/3 November, 1944; DÜSSELDORF: Thursday 2 November saw Fulbeck in absolute chaos and pandemonium; the new squadron, 189 was arriving on base, and on top of that, Group was requesting a big effort for the night’s raid on Düsseldorf, plus AGLT training flights were scheduled.
Eventually 13 aircraft from the squadron were airborne shortly after 17.00hrs. A total of 961 Lancasters and Halifaxes, with the aid of 31 Mosquitoes set out on a cold night with heavy frost, to deliver a heavy attack on Düsseldorf. This would be the final major attack of the war on Düsseldorf. Bomber Command lost 19 aircraft, 11 Halifaxes and 8 Lancasters; one of the Lancasters came from 49 Squadron: F/O Peter Harford and crew, flying on only their 2nd operation, were all killed when V-Victor was brought down over Germany; It was later established that the aircraft caught fire in the air and crashed at Golzheim. The aircraft was shot down by the crew of Oberfeldwebel Wilhelm Morlock & Feldwebel Alfred Soika of the 3./NJG 1, who were flying a Heinkel He 219 from Münster-Handorf airfield.
Golzheim is a village 18 miles south west of Cologne, Germany.
Flt Sgt Shaw was initially buried in Golzheim Civil Cemetery
Reinterred 22 January 1948.
Fg Off Harford, Sgt Mitchell, Sgt Bennett, Flt Sgt Findlay, Sgt Roxby and Sgt Rix were initially buried in
Golzheim Cemetery.
Reinterred 8 April 1947.
Crew
Pilot: 161805 Fg Off Peter Edward George Harford - Rheinberg War Cemetery Plot 5 Row C Grave 21.
Flight Engineer: 1825675 Sgt James Baird Mitchell - Rheinberg War Cemetery Plot 5 Row C Grave 22.
Navigator: 1620198 Flt Sgt Stanley Claude Bennett - Rheinberg War Cemetery Plot 5 Row C Grave 23.
Bomb Aimer: 1556361 Flt Sgt Alexander McGeoch Findlay - Rheinberg War Cemetery Plot 5 Row C Grave 24.
Wireless Operator: A/424066 Flt Sgt William Oliver Shaw RAAF - Rheinberg War Cemetery Plot 17 Row A Grave 1.
Air Gunner: 1676062 Sgt Henry Roxby - Rheinberg War Cemetery Plot 5 Row C Grave 25.
Air Gunner: 1634350 Sgt John Albert Rix - Rheinberg War Cemetery Plot 5 Row D Grave 1.
Crew on their 2nd operation: they all now rest together in the Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany.
Sources:
1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. http://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/Harford_PEG
3. Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 part five
4. http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=PB385&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 16 August 1943 | LM337 | 49 Sqn RAF | 5 | Le Chêne Millard, municipality Chéronvilliers, Eure |  |
w/o |
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Aug-2013 06:13 | JINX | Added |
| 31-Dec-2014 00:29 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Jun-2015 10:09 | Cliford | Updated [Operator, Departure airport] |
| 06-Sep-2021 13:38 | TigerTimon | Updated [Date, Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 02-Mar-2022 15:03 | Anon. | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative] |
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