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
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	'Herrenbusch' between Könen (Konz) - Wasserliesch; Rheinland-Pfalz -   Germany
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Upwood
Destination airport:	ZPS

Narrative:
Took off from RAF Upwood at 22:01 hrs for an operation against the Opel works at Rüsselsheim in Hessen.

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:

Crashed between Konen and Wasserliesch

Crew:-
Pilot : Flight Lieutenant James Neil McDonald DFM RAAF Aus/407529 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Ernest William Hunter RAFVR 1825464 [Killed]
Navigator : Flight Lieutenant Stewart Leigh Dennis DFC RAAF Aus/403914 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Flying Officer Leonard Laurence Deed DFC RAAF Aus/403983 [Killed]
Wireless Operator : Warrant Officer William Thomas Alsbury RAFVR 977330 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Flying Officer Donald William Dunham RAAF Aus/406522 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Flight Sergeant Robert Henry Valencia RAFVR 1814417 [Killed]

All lie at the Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany (51.529254 / 6.564161)

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.

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
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc

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
10-Apr-2024 05:43	M.B. Alsbury	Updated
06-May-2024 08:58	MichaelAlsbury	Updated [Destination airport, Category, ]
23-Jun-2025 18:11	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]