Accident Avro Lancaster Mk I W4894,
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ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 52044
 
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Date:Sunday 4 April 1943
Time:00:24
Type:Silhouette image of generic LANC model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Avro Lancaster Mk I
Owner/operator:156 Sqn RAF
Registration: W4894
MSN: GT-T
Fatalities:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Waddenzee 15 km E of Texel, Noord-Holland -   Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Warboys, UK
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Aircraft was a pathfinder from 156 Sqn returning from a raid on Essen when it was shot down by a Bf 110 G-4 of the Stab IV/NJG 1, flown by ace Major Helmut Lent. Wreckage from the aircraft was not discovered and identified until 1989/1990. My uncle was the radio operator on the raid.
There is a museum on the island of Texel in Holland commemorating this plane crash and its occupants, including my uncle F/SGT Reg Byass, the pilot of this plane who was also killed in this crash. One crew member is buried at Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands, the six other crew members are remembered at the Runnymede Memorial, England.

Takeoff time: 19:48
Crew:-
Pilot : Flight Sergeant Reginald Anderson Byass RAAF Aus/416410 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Gilbert Robert Minns RAFVR 1393358 [Killed]
Navigator : Flying Officer Gregory James Black RAAF Aus/409519 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Sergeant Norman Ray Thurecht RAAF Aus/414102 [Killed]
Wireless Operator : Sergeant Russell Seymour Trigwell RAAF Aus/415000 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Flight Sergeant Donald Lawrence Robertson RCAF R/102097 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant Stanley Edward Crooks RAFVR 1321533 [Killed]

Sources:

https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T2174&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database

History of this aircraft

Other occurrences involving this aircraft
3 January 1944 ND380 156 Sqn RAF 7 Riesdorf, Sachsen-Anhalt w/o
20 February 1944 ND358 156 Sqn RAF 7 near Zasenbeck, Wittingen, Niedersachsen w/o
24 March 1944 JB667 156 Sqn RAF 6 Großbeuthen, Trebbin, Brandenburg w/o
1 June 1944 NE143 156 Sqn RAF 3 Villeguines-Aumont, Aisne w/o

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
17-Dec-2008 11:45 ASN archive Added
10-Dec-2009 21:05 Triggy Updated
07-Jun-2012 00:21 billbyass Updated [Country, Narrative]
07-Jun-2012 00:21 harro Updated [Country]
27-Aug-2017 18:37 w.bleumink Updated [Cn, Narrative]
03-Apr-2018 13:53 TigerTimon Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative]
03-Nov-2018 10:07 Nepa Updated [Operator, Operator]
15-Jun-2022 07:09 Ron Averes Updated [Location]
03-Apr-2024 06:51 Rob Davis Updated [Source, Narrative]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

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