ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 159484
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| Date: | Saturday 24 February 1945 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 150 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | PB780 |
| MSN: | IQ-T |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Hemswell, Lincolnshire |
Lancaster B.III "IQ-T" of 150 Squadron, RAF. Written off 23/24 February 1945 in combat operations when went missing/failed to return on mission to Pforzheim.
On 23 February, Pforzheim was bombed in one of the most devastating area bombardments of World War II. It was carried out by the Royal Air Force (RAF) on the evening of February 23, 1945.About one quarter of the town's population, over 17,000 people, was killed in the air raid, and about 83% of the town's buildings were destroyed. The mission order to bomb Pforzheim issued by RAF Bomber Command states as the intention of the raid on Pforzheim "to destroy the built up area and associated industries and rail facilities". The bombardment was carried out as part of the British carpet bombing campaign. The town was put on the target list for bombardments in November 1944 because it was thought by the Allies to be producing precision instruments for use in the German war effort and as transport centre for the movement of German troops
Crew:-
Pilot : Flying Officer Pierre Aime Gerard Ythier RAFVR 184182 (NCO:1681265 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 24 October, 1944) [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant J A Clark RAF [PoW]
Navigator : Flight Sergeant L N Horrox RAF [PoW]
Bomb Aimer : Flying Officer Albert William Delieu RAFVR 154385 (NCO:646161 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 22 February, 1944) [Killed]
Wireless Operator : Flight Sergeant Ronald Samuel Lewis RAFVR 1042987 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant Robert Harold Conning RAFVR 2219046 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant W E Buckley RAF 78080 [PoW]
The GWGC website gives the date of death as February 23 1945, which would imply that PB780 crashed in the evening of that day, before midnight
Sources:
1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?16933-150-Squadrons-and-Lancasters-they-flew
3. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2103635/
4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pforzheim#World_War_II
5. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Aug-2013 02:06 | JINX | Added |
| 28-Dec-2014 05:10 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 15-Jun-2015 11:28 | MiG17 | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Departure airport] |
| 28-May-2016 20:15 | Red Dragon | Updated [Cn, Operator] |
| 27-Nov-2016 10:15 | Anon. | Updated [Destination airport] |
| 30-Oct-2018 19:27 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator, Destination airport] |
| 23-Feb-2024 08:01 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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