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| Date: | Thursday 4 October 1945 |
| Time: | 04:40 |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 103 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | PA278 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 25 / Occupants: 25 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Aircraft missing |
| Location: | Missing, 30 miles NNW of Capo Grosso, Corsica 20 -
 France
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Connington |
| Naples, Italy |
Missing, crashed into the Mediterranean Sea, 30 miles north-northwest of Capo Grosso (aka Cape Corse), Corsica.
This Lancaster bomber (PA278 "PM-P" of 103 Sqn., RAF) was being used in "Operation Dodge", bringing back to the United Kingdom military personnel from Italy and the Middle East.
The aircraft departed RAF Connington at 00:30 on the 4th of October, 1945, with a crew of six and carrying 19 female passengers, 2 of them nurses and the others members of the Women's Auxiliary Territorial Service. All were traveling back to Italy and the ME after being on leave in the UK.
PA278 and an accompanying Lancaster crossed the French coast west of Marseille on course for Naples. Not long after a radio message was sent to the other plane from PA278 indicating that the bomber had engine trouble and was turning back to Marseille. Nothing further was heard, but at 04:40 an explosion was seen by the crew of the other Lancaster.
The bodies of the 19 passengers and 6 crew of Lancaster PA278 were never found. Full casualty list:
Sergeant William John Kennedy RAFVR 2208930 [Killed]
Flight Sergeant Jack Anthony Reardon RAFVR 1626816 [Killed]
Flight Sergeant Norman Reginald Robbins RAFVR 1894110 [Killed]
Sergeant Richard George Steel RAFVR 1818104 [Killed]
Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Taylor RAFVR 189687 (NCO:1506090 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 13 February, 1945) [Killed]
Flight Lieutenant John Percy Whymark DSO DFC RAF 53481 (NCO:616289 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 30 November, 1943) [Killed]
Passenger : Lance-Corporal (Army) Williamina Allan ATS 23244 [Killed]
Passenger : Private (Army) Phyllis Kathleen Doris Bacon ATS 77415 [Killed]
Passenger : Corporal Heather Cosens Cosens ATS 184715 [Killed]
Passenger : Private (Army) Stefania Courtman ATS 203386 [Killed]
Passenger : Private (Army) Barbara Diana Cullen ATS 252761 [Killed]
Passenger : Sister (Medical) Jane Simpson Annand Curran QAIMNS 236425 [Killed]
Passenger : Private (Army) Agnes Edwards ATS 258692 [Killed]
Passenger : Private (Army) Rhoda Alice Fraser ATS 155271 [Killed]
Passenger : Private (Army) Bessie Goodman ATS 143732 [Killed]
Passenger : Corporal Jill Goring ATS 237256 [Killed]
Passenger : Private (Army) Joan Larkin ATS 154454 [Killed]
Passenger : Private (Army) Alice Lillyman ATS 74459 [Killed]
Passenger : Lance-Corporal (Army) Sheila MacLeod ATS 170036 [Killed]
Passenger : Lance-Corporal (Army) May Eleanor Mann ATS 236937 [Killed]
Passenger : Private (Army) Betty Evelyn Precious ATS 147946 [Killed]
Passenger : Lance-Corporal (Army) Enid Dacia Rice ATS 144264 [Killed]
Passenger : Senior Matron (Medical) G I Sadler SAAF 254580 [Killed]
Passenger : Staff Sergeant (ATS) Jessie Ellen Semark ATS 7326 [Killed]
Passenger : Private (Army) Jessie Ellen Taylor ATS 7326 [Killed]
Sources:
1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. http://www.reffell.org.uk/WW2/heathercosens.php
3. http://derbyshirewarmemorials.wikispaces.com/Jill+Goring?responseToken=9bb44dc9753e4f7cc546860ba774c10f
4. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 18-Aug-2013 03:11 | JINX | Added |
| 23-Jun-2014 21:03 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 23-Jun-2014 21:11 | angels one five | Updated [Time, Narrative, ] |
| 10-Nov-2014 15:53 | Ivan Lother | Updated [Time, Operator, ] |
| 31-Dec-2014 22:52 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 11-Jan-2016 10:40 | bob whymark | Updated [Location, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 10-Jan-2018 15:51 | angels one five | Updated [Location, Narrative, ] |
| 10-Jan-2018 16:14 | angels one five | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 18-Apr-2022 07:59 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, ] |
| 19-Jul-2025 14:07 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
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