Date:	Thursday 22 February 1945
Time:	20;48 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster B Mk I
Owner/operator:	227 Squadron, RAF
Registration:	PB690
MSN:	9J-V
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	South East of Enschdede, province of Overijssel, Twente region -   Netherlands
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Balderton, Nottinghamshire
Destination airport:	RAF Balderton, Nottinghamshire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B Mk. I PB690/9J-V of 227 Squadron, RAF. Posted as missing/failed to return on a combat operation on 22 February 1945. All seven crew on board survived; five were captured and taken as PoWs, and two successfully evaded capture to return to friendly territory

Mission to Gravenhorst. Took off from RAF Balderton at 17:21 hrs to attack the Mittelland Kanal at Gravenhorst. It is noted that Flight Sergeant Sidney A F Diplock returned to United kingdom on or around 7 April 1945, thus suggesting his time in captivity was spent close to where he was captured. Possible claim that the Lancaster was shot down by Maj Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of Stab NJG4, Luftwaffe, South East of Enschede who claimed to have shot down a Lancaster from a range of 1,600m at 20:48 in that area.

Crew:
Pilot: Flight Lieutenant J B Osborne MiD RAFVR 1112072 [Evaded Capture]
Flight Engineer: Sergeant R A Scutt RAF [PoW]
Navigator: Flight Sergeant T O Kydd RAF 1398182 [Evaded Capture]
Bomb Aimer: Flight Sergeant J G Redman RAF [PoW]
Wireless Operator: Pilot Officer Brian Henry Lee RAAF Aus/421351 [PoW]
Mid-Upper Gunner: Flight Sergeant Sidney A F Diplock RAF [PoW]
Rear Gunner: Flight Sergeant R W Sheen RAF [PoW]

Enschede is a city and municipality in the province of Overijssel and the Twente region of the eastern Netherlands. The east of the urban area reaches the border of the German city of Gronau (so it is possible that the Lancaster came down 'just over the border' in Gronau, Germany)

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1945 Page 88.
3. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
4. The Lancaster File (James J Halley, Air Britain, 1985)
5. 227 Squadron Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 28 February 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/1410/2 at: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8395266
6. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/February/1.html
7. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._227_Squadron_RAF#Reformation_in_World_War_II
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Balderton#Royal_Air_Force_(RAF)_use
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enschede#World_War_II

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
28-Aug-2013 19:52	JINX	Added
28-May-2016 16:19	Red Dragon	Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
20-May-2018 20:00	Anon.	Updated [Narrative, ]
10-Nov-2018 21:51	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator, ]
26-Jan-2025 20:08	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Country, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]