ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 220173
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| Date: | Tuesday 26 December 1944 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Handley Page Halifax Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 76 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | MZ740 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 8 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Nassogne, Luxembourg -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Holme-on-Spalding Moor |
On 26 December 1944 RAF Bomber Command dispatched 294 aircraft (146 Lancasters, 136 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitos) of all the bomber groups (except No.100 Group) to attack enemy troop positions near St Vith. This was the first time since mid-October that aircraft from all the bomber groups had joined together in one raid. The bombing appeared to be concentrated and accurate. 2 Halifaxes did not return from this operation, while a Lancaster force-landed near Reims with a killed aboard.
One of theses losses was the Halifax III MZ740 MP-R of 76 Sqn RAF, that took off at 1252 hrs from Holme-on-Spalding Moor, Yorkshire. It was hit by Flak which completely shattered the nose section. Moments later, the rest of the Halifax crashed into woods near Nassogne, 19 km SW of la Roche-Ardenne (Belgian Ardennes). The only survivor was the mid-upper gunner who was captured and ended in Stalag Luft Barth Vogelsang (L1).
Crew:
Pilot: J/186900 Fg Off Devoe Woolf RCAF - Hotton War Cemetery Plot III Row C Grave 7.
Flight Engineer: 905574 Sgt John Shirra Gray - Heverlee War Cemetery Plot 5 Row A Collective Grave 5-7.
Navigator: J/27577 Fg Off Ralph Hay Emerson RCAF - Heverlee War Cemetery Plot 12 Row E Grave 9.
Bomb Aimer: J/24532 Fg Off George Floyd RCAF - Nassogne Communal Cemetery North West Part.
Wireless Operator: J/91164 Plt Off Ari Bergthor Clark RCAF - Runnymede Memorial Panel 249.
Mid Under Gunner: 1273841 WO Thomas Richard William Smith - Heverlee War Cemetery Plot 5 Row A Collective Grave 5-7.
Mid Upper Gunner: R/200969 Flt Sgt Kenneth Maurice Mason RCAF - PoW/Stalag Luft 1 Barth Vogelsang/PoW Number?
Rear Gunner: R/103037 Flt Sgt Oscar Frederick Newton RCAF - Heverlee War Cemetery Plot 5 Row A Collective Grave 5-7.
Floyd managed to bail out but died of his injuries. According to some sources, three or five crew were captured but were shot the same day in Bande but this has not been confirmed.
Sources:
http://www.aircrewremembrancesociety.com/raf1944/3/woolfdevoe.html
http://www.aviationheritage.eu/nl/content/graf-fo-floyd-halifax-mz740
http://disc.yourwebapps.com/discussion.cgi?disc=92216;article=870;
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nassogne
http://www.maplandia.com/belgium/wallonne/luxembourg/nassogne/
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 26-Dec-2018 10:29 | Laurent Rizzotti | Added |
| 09-May-2022 19:50 | Anon. | Updated [Narrative] |
| 14-Nov-2022 07:40 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 26-Dec-2023 07:15 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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