ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 246703
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Friday 16 March 1945 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 49 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | NG352 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Würzburg area -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Fullbeck, Nottinghamshire |
Shot down during a bombing mission to Würzburg, Germany.
Crew:-
Pilot : Flying Officer John Buchanan Gibson RAF 54900 (NCO:742315 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 22 August, 1944) [PoW]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant G Peter Roberts RAF 1596082 [PoW]
Navigator : Flying Officer David Edwards RAF 164576 (NCO:1605774 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 20 June, 1944) [PoW]
Bomb Aimer : Flight Sergeant R M Henderson RCAF R/204987 [PoW]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Flight Sergeant Donald John Hughes RAFVR 1873494 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant Austin Finnerty RAFVR 2225471 [PoW, died later]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant J Evans RAF 1596311 [PoW]
One crew member died as a result of the crash. The six other crew members became POW. One crew member, Don Hughes, was executed. At 07.30 on Sunday 18th March, after two days in the Police cells, Don was removed from the cells by SS Kriminal-Sekretar Joseph Axt of the Würzburg Criminal Police and Obersekretar Johann Weber. He was then marched to the river, where Axt shot him in the back before throwing his body in the river; his body was recovered from the river next morning. he Germans involved in the execution were charged before a military court at Iserlohn on June 11th, 1946, and both were convicted. Axt was sentenced to death by shooting, and Weber to 20 years imprisonment.
Sources:
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=71
https://www.backtonormandy.org/the-history/air-force-operations/airplanes-allies-and-axis-lost/lancaster/26065-NG3521945-03-17.html
https://www.49squadron.co.uk/personnel_index/detail/Gibson_JB
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 13-Jan-2021 09:57 | gerard57 | Added |
| 22-Feb-2021 14:38 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator] |
| 19-Nov-2021 09:48 | Rob Davis | Updated [Registration] |
| 16-Mar-2022 07:59 | Rob Davis | Updated [Narrative] |
| 16-Mar-2024 07:21 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation