ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 159351
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| Date: | Saturday 24 February 1945 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 582 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | PB538 |
| MSN: | 6O-M |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Chappelle-aux-Bois (Nord) S of Valenciennes -
 France
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Little Staughton |
Mission to Pforzheim. Took off from RAF Little Staughton at 1636 hrs as Master Bomber. Sustained very severe damage over the target area at the hands of night-fighters. Exercising skilful airmanship and sheer willpower Capt Swales SAAF regained the Allied lines and baled out his crew. Before he could make his own escape , the Lancaster hit H/T wires and crashed at Chappelle-aux-Bois (Nord) S of Valenciennes. Capt Swales was awarded a posthumous V.C., Gazetted 24 April 1945, while Flt Sgt Bennington's DFM appeared in the 20 July 1945 edition. Plt Off Wheaton RAAF was flying as a second navigator. Capt Swales is not, as may be expected, buried in France but lies in Belguim at Leopoldsburg War Cemetery.
Not:- Hans de Haan of Wijchen suggests that Hptm Gerhard Friedrich of II./NJG1 may have fired the shots that crippled his Lancaster.
Crew:-
Pilot : Major (Army) Edwin "Ted" Swales VC DFC SAAF V6101 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Flight Sergeant G W Bennington DFM RAF
Navigator : Squadron Leader Dudley Peter David Archer DSO DFC RAF 135430 (NCO:748742 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 12 January, 1943)
2nd Navigator : Pilot Officer Ross Alfred Wheaton RAAF Aus/417544
Bomb Aimer : Flight Lieutenant C Dodson DSO DFC RAF 64284
Wireless Operator : Pilot Officer Albert Vivian Goodacre RAAF Aus/432150
Mid-Upper Gunner : Flight Sergeant Bryn Leach DFM RAF
Rear Gunner : Pilot Officer Alan (Al) Bourne RCAF
Sources:
Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
https://www.findagrave.com/page=gr&GSln=Swales&GSbyrel=all&GSdy=1945&GSdyrel=in&GScntry=19&GSob=n&GRid=9978720&df=all&
Royal Air Force bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1945 Page 95.
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Aug-2013 19:46 | JINX | Added |
| 28-May-2016 19:56 | Red Dragon | Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 03-Jul-2018 10:34 | vrajm | Updated [Narrative] |
| 10-Nov-2018 21:53 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator] |
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