Accident Avro Lancaster Mk III JB656, Thursday 16 December 1943
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Date:Thursday 16 December 1943
Time:18:02 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic LANC model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Avro Lancaster Mk III
Owner/operator:7 Sqn RAF
Registration: JB656
MSN: MG-D
Fatalities:Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Molenweg 24, Oterleek, Noord-Holland -   Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Oakington, Cambridgeshire
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Takeoff at 16:17 for an operation to Berlin.
Shot down by night fighter pilot Leutnant Heinz Rolland of the 12./NJG 1, flying a Bf 110 G-4 from Bergen airfield.

Crew:-
Pilot : Flying Officer Francis William Rush RAAF Aus/30245 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant J S Off RAF [Evaded]
Navigator : Sergeant Kenneth Wightman RAF 642881 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Flying Officer William Verdun Scott RAAF Aus/413277 [Killed]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant Henry Bernard Bushell RAFVR 1079812 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Flying Officer Clive Prosdocimi Luther RAAF Aus/424546 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant William Robert Buntain RAFVR 1822100 [Killed]

The casualties lie at the Oterleek (Stompetoren) Churchyard, Netherlands (52.611166 / 4.819595)

Sources:

Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943 part three
https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=&date=&location=&pn=JB656&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
17-Dec-2008 11:45 ASN archive Added
13-Dec-2018 10:06 TigerTimon Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
13-Dec-2018 18:34 Nepa Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator]
13-Jun-2024 08:12 Rob Davis Updated [Source, Narrative]

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