ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 159132
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| Date: | Sunday 13 August 1944 |
| Time: | 00:48 LT |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 156 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | PB209 |
| MSN: | GT-E |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 'Herrenbusch' between Könen (Konz) - Wasserliesch; Rheinland-Pfalz -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Upwood |
Took off from RAF Upwood at 22:01 hrs for an operation against the Opel works at Rüsselsheim in Hessen.
All are buried in Rheinberg War Cemetery. Flt Lt McDonald RAAF had gained his DFM flying Wellingtons in the Middle East with 148 Squadron, details appearing in the London Gazette on 22 January 1943:
Flt Lt J N McDonald DFM RAAF (Killed on Active Service)
Sgt E W Hunter (Killed on Active Service)
Flt lt S L Dennis DFC RAAF (Killed on Active Service)
Fg Off L L Deed DFC RAAF (Killed on Active Service)
WO W T Alsbury (Killed on Active Service)
Fg Off D W Dunham RAAF (Killed on Active Service)
Flt Sgt R H Valencia (Killed on Active Service)
The aircraft was shot down by Hauptmann Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of the Stab IV./NJG 1, who had taken off from St Trond (Sint-Truiden) airfield (Belgium) in a Bf 110 G-4 (claim: Wasserliesch, 14 km S. Trier (4,300m) at 00:48), Schnaufer considered the ‘greatest’ night ace of all time (find him on Wikipedia). The plane was observed on fire, partially broke up presumably on impact. The Wasserliesch Fire Brigade extinguished forest fires and recovered the remains of 5 crew from the plane. The bodies of deceased Bill Alsbury and Robert Valencia were found about 500 yards away with burnt parachutes. The crew were buried in Wasserliesch Cemetery by the Germans, later in Rheinberg British War Cemetery. The raid had been on the Opel plant at Russelsheim which was thought to be making wings for V1 bombs.
Sources:
Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
Royal Air Force bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1944 Page 382.
http://www.hungerfordvirtualmuseum.co.uk/index.php/21-themes/war-memorial-2nd-world-war/242-bill-alsbury
Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 part four
Google Maps
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 17 April 1945 | PB403 | 156 Sqn RAF | 7 | Kahel Kopfchen, Murlenbach, W bank of Kyll river, 12 Km SSW of Gerolst | |
w/o |
| Mid-air collision | ||||||
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Aug-2013 21:10 | JINX | Added |
| 30-Jun-2016 21:42 | Red Dragon | Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 30-Jun-2016 21:43 | Red Dragon | Updated [Location] |
| 08-Apr-2017 14:57 | wallaby | Updated [Location] |
| 03-Nov-2018 10:04 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator] |
| 15-Jun-2021 15:27 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative] |
| 06-Jul-2023 05:22 | Michael B. Alsbury | Updated [[Time, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative]] |
| 10-Apr-2024 05:43 | M.B. Alsbury | Updated [[[Time, Location, Phase, Source, Narrative]]] |
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