ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 159506
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| Date: | Friday 23 March 1945 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 150 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | PB853 |
| MSN: | IQ-P |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Witten-Herbede -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Hemswell |
Mission to Dortmund. 1814561 Flight Sergeant (Flt Sgt) John Clement Davis RAF (VR), flight engineer; 432681 Flt Sgt Robert Lockyer Masters RAAF, wireless operator of Tumut NSW; 430174 Flt Sgt Kevin Anthony Kee RAAF, navigator of West Brunswick, Vic; 423161 Flying Officer (FO) Philip Henry (Phil) Morris RAAF, pilot of Maroubra, NSW; 419853 Flt Sgt Harvey Bawden RAAF, mid upper gunner; 435186 Flt Sgt James Noel Griffin RAAF, of South Brisbane, Qld; 433557 James Henry (Jim) Gillies RAAF, bomb aimer of Eastwood, NSW. While on a raid to bomb the oil refineries of Harpenerweg near Dortmund and Bochum, their aircraft, Lancaster PB 853 P, was hit by anti-aircraft flak and crashed on 24 March 1945, with Flt Sgt Griffin's body found in the wreckage. Six crew managed to bail out and land safely, four of whom were murdered by German nationals. Those murdered were Fg Off Morris, Flt Sgt's Kee, Davis and Masters. A War Crimes Group investigated the crimes committed at Bochum and those guilty of the crimes were either sentenced to death by hanging, or one to twenty years jail, depending on the level of their involvement. Flt Sgt Bawden fractured his femur while getting from his turret to the fuselage, yet managed to leave the aircraft and land, undoubtedly with some discomfort. Flt Sgt's Bawden and Gillies ended up at the same camp for interrogation and both were subsequently moved to a Luftwaffe fighter station where Bawden was moved to a hospital. Bawden received poor medical attention as most staff had disappeared as the station was under sustained attack. Flt Sgt Gillies was moved by train and truck through Germany, ending up in Fallingbostel POW camp, leaving Flt Sgt Bawden to be repatriated some weeks later when the US Army arrived, taking him out on his stretcher wired to the bonnet of a jeep.
Crew
Fg Off P H Morris RAAF (Murdered by local Germans)
Flt Sgt K A Kee RAAF (Murdered by local Germans)
Flt Sgt J C Davis RAF (Murdered by local Germans)
Flt Sgt R L Masters (Murdered by local Germans)
Flt Sgt H Bawden RAAF (Inj/POW)
Flt Sgt J N Griffen RAAF (KIA)
Flt Sgt J H Giles RAAF (POW)
Sources:
Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/P03819.004
RAF Bomber Command Operational Losses Database.
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Aug-2013 02:42 | JINX | Added |
| 15-Jun-2015 11:28 | MiG17 | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator] |
| 01-Jun-2016 19:46 | Red Dragon | Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 30-Oct-2018 19:28 | stehlik49 | Updated [Operator, Destination airport] |
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