ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 159350
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| Date: | Thursday 8 March 1945 |
| Time: | 22:15 |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 49 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | PB537 |
| MSN: | EA-X |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Sandbostel, 9 km SSW of Bremervorde -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Fulbeck, Lincolnshire |
7/8 March, 1945; HARBURG: Oil was the target, when 234 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes of 5 Group visited Harburg. The bombing results were good, with extensive damage being caused, but the cost was high with 16 Lancaster crews failing to return to their Lincolnshire bases. One of these was PB537, which came down at Sandbostel, 9 km SSW of Bremervorde.
49 Squadron dispatched 18 Lancasters on the raid, F/O Littley (in PB373) and crew being the first away at 17:40 hours. 49 Squadron had one aircraft fail to return plus an airman killed, and another posted missing from a second aircraft.
Australian pilot, 23 year old F/O Roussel Stark, with four of his fellow crew members were sadly killed, and are buried in Becklingen War Cemetery; the remaining three members became POWs.
Ex-POW report by Warrant Officer Yeoman stated “Attacked by night fighter. Skipper ordered
Jump Jump. Flight Engineer out before me. I baled out at 7,000 feet. Other five still in aircraft.
Aircraft was on fire complete starboard wing. Crashed in vicinity of Bremerrode. Wandered in
southeast direction and picked up by German sentry.”
Crew:-
Pilot : Flying Officer Roussel William Galloway Stark RAAF Aus/429834 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant J F Brennan RAF 1280067 [PoW]
Navigator : Warrant Officer John Charles Yeoman RAAF Aus/419244 [PoW]
Bomb Aimer : Warrant Officer Ralph McPherson Bairnsfather RAAF Aus/417440 [Killed]
Wireless Operator : Flight Sergeant Angus Thomas Jellicoe Lovett RAAF Aus/423514 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant Robert Cecil Gilbert RAFVR 1900007 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant J P Dixon RAF 2211110 [PoW]
Sources:
1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. http://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/Stark_RWG
3. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P05650.001
4. http://www.rafcommands.com/archive/11848.php
5. https://aviationmuseumwa.org.au/afcraaf-roll/lovett-angus-thomas-423514/
6. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Aug-2013 19:45 | JINX | Added |
| 30-Dec-2014 23:00 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Jun-2015 10:19 | SIS07 | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport] |
| 29-May-2016 16:29 | Red Dragon | Updated [Cn, Operator, Destination airport, Narrative] |
| 28-Oct-2018 20:08 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator] |
| 14-Oct-2022 06:04 | Maurce | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 07-Mar-2024 07:52 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
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