Date:	Thursday 22 February 1945
Time:	overnight
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk I
Owner/operator:	463 Sqn RAAF
Registration:	PB804
MSN:	JO-A
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 8
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near Mehringen, district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt -   Germany
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	Target: Mittelland Kanal at Gravenhorst

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. I PB804/JO-A, 463 Squadron, RAAF took off from RAF Waddington at 17:19 hours on the night of 21/22nd February 1945 to bomb the Mittelland Canal at Gravenhorst, Germany. The bomb load was 14 x 1000 lb (pound) (450 kg) bombs. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after takeoff and it did not return to base. Ten aircraft from the Squadron took part in the raid and two of these - including PB804 - failed to return. In 1949 the Missing Research and Enquiry Unit reported “The aircraft was hit by ack-ack and crashed in a forest near Mehringen [district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt] on 21 February 1945. Following the impact the aircraft was subjected to a series of explosions, and three of the crew of eight were lost (killed in action), five were captured and taken as PoWs.

Flight Lieutenant William J.O. Grime later reported "the captain gave the order to bail out. I went through the front escape hatch followed by the Engineer and Navigator. The Navigator later said that the captain was still in his seat when he left the plane. I was captured 5 days later."

Crew of Lancaster PB804:
Pilot: Wing Commander William Alexander Forbes DSO DFC RAAF Aus/414219 [Killed]. Aged 25, Commemorated at Reichwald Forest War Cemetary, Germany

Wireless Operator: Flying Officer William McLeod RAFVR 182488 (NCO:1370963): Commission Gazetted Tuesday 19 September, 1944) [Killed]. Commemorated at Reichwald Forest War Cemetary, Germany

Air Gunner: Flight Lieutenant J A Loftus RAF [PoW]

Air Gunner: Warrant Officer Arthur Jack Norman RAFVR 1380254 [Killed]. Commemorated at Reichwald Forest War Cemetary, Germany

Air Gunner: Pilot Officer Kenneth Lendrum Worden RAF 182696 (NCO:1286513): Commission Gazetted Tuesday 03 October, 1944) [PoW]

Crew: Flying Officer John Aston Costello DFC DFM RAF 156558 (NCO:1382972): Commission Gazetted Tuesday 12 October, 1943) [PoW]

Crew: Flight Lieutenant John Henry Dean RAF 52914 (NCO:649579): Commission Gazetted Tuesday 05 October, 1943) [PoW]

Crew: Flight Lieutenant William Jeffrey Owen Grime DFC RAFVR 149573 (NCO:1585242): Commission Gazetted Tuesday 14 September, 1943) [PoW]

Flying Officer Costello had served with 49 Squadron and details of his award had appeared in the London Gazette on 15 October 1943. The last three named were all flying as air gunners.

Mehringen is a former municipality in the district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2008, it has been part of the town of Aschersleben.

Lancaster B. Mk. I PB804 was delivered to 463 Squadron, RAAF on 4 December 1944. The loss of this aircraft on 21 February 1945 was on the aircraft's 22nd sortie

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. Royal Air force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1945 Page 90.
3. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
4. https://adf-serials.com.au/lancaster.htm
5. 463 Squadron RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force): Operations Record Book for the period 1 September 1944 to 30 September 1945: National Archives (PO Kew) File AIR27/1922 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C2504564
6. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2031388/william-alexander-forbes/
7. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2040093/william-mcleod/
8. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2040738/arthur-jack-norman/
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._463_Squadron_RAAF#History
10. https://aviationmuseumwa.org.au/afcraaf-roll/forbes-william-alexander-414219/
11. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56034305/william_alexander-forbes
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mehringen
13. https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/UK2368
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mittelland_Canal

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
29-Aug-2013 02:17	JINX	Added
06-Jun-2015 16:40	Angel dick one	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, ]
28-May-2016 16:37	Red Dragon	Updated [Cn, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
24-Jun-2022 23:36	Ron Averes	Updated [Location, ]
21-Feb-2024 07:58	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]
16-Jan-2025 00:41	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]