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| Date: | Friday 28 April 1944 |
| Time: | 02:10 LT |
| Type: |  Handley Page Halifax Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 640 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | MZ541 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Substantial |
| Location: | E of Mechelen, Antwerp -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Leconfield, East Riding of Yorkshire |
Target - railway yards at Montzen, Blieberg, province of Liège. Homeward-bound, the aircraft was damaged in one burst of gun fire from a night fighter.
Probably, the aircraft was damaged by night fighter pilot Major Hans-Joachim Jabs of the Stab/NJG 1, who was flying a Bf 110 G-4 from St Trond (Sint-Truiden) airfield. Due to misalignment of the frontal armament of the Messerschmitt, the Experte did not achieve success.
On return to England, the damage was assessed as category AC. More than a month later, this aircraft was lost in a raid on railway yards at Trappes, France.
The local people have erected a memorial on the actual site of the crash. This is south of the town, about 100 yards beyond the railway bridge, on the eastern side of the D.28 road to Gallardon. The local traffic island is called "Rond-Point des Anglais". GPS 48.598279 / 1.677222.
Crew:-
Pilot : Pilot Officer Geoffrey Hubert Stephen Burwood RAFVR 172072 (NCO:1389703 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 28 March, 1944) [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Alec Friesner RAFVR 2215315 [Killed]
Navigator : Flight Sergeant John Watson Eastman RAFVR 1535785 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Flight Sergeant John William Arthur Montgomery RAAF Aus/424271 [Killed]
Wireless Operator : Sergeant Vickers Lavender Bennett RAFVR 1601205 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant Robert Morris RAFVR 1892968 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant Francis Ronald Smith RAFVR 1631398 [Killed]
All lie at the Epernon Communal Cemetery, France (48.612694 / 1.684885)
Sources:
Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 part two
Google Maps
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=MZ541
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Apr-2020 15:04 | TigerTimon | Added |
| 02-Jun-2022 06:53 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 26-Jun-2022 02:48 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location] |
| 22-May-2024 17:34 | Rob Davis | Updated [Narrative] |
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