Lancaster damaged by FLAK / returned to East Moor airfield.

On the night of 29/30th December 1943 the crew of this Lancaster were tasked with Ops to Berlin. They suffered Flak damage but were able to make a safe return to East Moor in the early hours of the 30th. The aircraft was on it's 4th Op with 432 Sqdn on this date.

The aircraft was built to contract AC 239 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd at Baginton and delivered to MU storage in May 193. It was later issued to 426 Sqdn at Linton on Ouse when the unit converted to Lancaster B.II's from Wellingtons. It transferred to 430 Sqdn at Hartford Bridge in November 1943 but this is clearly an error on the part of the scribe, as 430 Sqdn were Army Co-op Sqdn operating Tomahawks! They would have little use for a Lancaster. It almost certainly was transferred correctly to 432 Sqdn at East Moor in November 1943. Following the incident detailed above Cat. A(c)/FB was declared and it was repaired on site with repair completed by 14th January 1944. The aircraft was lost as Cat. E(m) on 14th January 1944 on Ops to Braunschweig, crashing at Lagershausen, 6 Km NE of Northeim. Seven were lost. These were the same as named below.

Pilot - P/O Donald Arthur Rae RCAF (J/17895). Of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

FEng - Sgt Kenneth Edgar Evans RAFVR (1605227). Of Romford, Essex.

Nav - F/O Geoffrey Vernon Holmes RAFVR (129368). Of Sale, Cheshire.

AB - P/O David Thomas Lyng RCAF (J/19590). Of Union Mills, N.B. Canada but late of Montreal.

WOp/AG F/Sgt Edward Frederick Howe RAFVR (1380267). Of Gidea Park, Romford, Essex.

A/G - Sgt Charles Francis Tarr RAFVR (1068226).

A/G - WO2 Williard Henry Hoppus RCAF (R/105586). Of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada.

P/O Rae had crash landed a 432 Sqdn Wellington on 19th July 1943 at Ouston, to the north east of Easingwold and also detailed on this website.

P/O Rae and his crew were lost on 14th January 1944 when Lancaster DS740 crashed as above. All were buried at Lagershausen but now rest in Hannover War Cemetery. This last Op was P/O Rae's 6th with 432 Sqdn on Lancasters and the aircrafts 4th. The incident detailed at the top of the page was Rae's 3rd Op since returning to 432 Sqdn after converting to Lancasters.