Date:	Friday 2 February 1945
Time:	evening
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk I
Owner/operator:	50 Sqn RAF
Registration:	PD346
MSN:	VN-V
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	NNW of Siegen, Arnsberg Region, North-Rhine-Westphalia -   Germany
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Skellingthrope, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:	RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B. Mk. I PD346/VN-V, 50 Squadron, RAF. Destroyed on combat operations 2 February 1945.
Mission to Siegen, Arnsberg Region, North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Exact cause of loss and crash-site not established (but believed aircraft came down north-north-west of Siegen).Took off from RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire at 16:38 hrs. Five of the seven crew killed in action, two survived to be taken as PoWs. All five crew fatalities are buried in Rheinburg War Cemetery.

Crew:
Pilot: Flying Officer Charles Ridley Fairbairn DFC RAAF Aus/419988 [Killed]
Flight Engineer: Sergeant Jack Pannett RAFVR 1592609 [Killed]
Navigator: Flying Officer John Stanley Edward Locock RAFVR [Killed]
Air Gunner: Sergeant Charles Eric Atkins 154080 RAFVR [PoW]
Crew: Flying Officer Allen Berkeley Fitzhardinge RAAF Aus/424293 [Killed]
Air Gunner: Flight Sergeant Norman Glyn Jones 1852150 RAFvr [PoW]
Crew: Warrant Officer Barry Sydney Smith RAAF Aus/424471 [Killed]

Breif History of Lancaster PD346:
Built by Metropolitain Vickers to contract Acft/2221
19-09-1944: Delivered to A V Roe & Co and taken on charge (probably at 45 MU)
03-10-1944: Issued to 50 Squadron RAF at Skellingthorope, Lincolnshire as 'VN-V'
17-12-1944: Sustained Cat.B (FA) damage on operational service
18-12-1944: Repaired on site (probably at RAF Skellingthorpe) by 58 MU
05-01-1945: Returned to service after completion of repairs. Once more issued to 50 Squadron, RAF at Skellingthorpe as 'VN-V'
02-02-1945: Declared Cat.E (Missing) as lost on operational sortie as per the above
08-02-1945: Struck off charge as Cat. E

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1945 Page 57.
3. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
4. The Lancaster File (James J Halley. Air Britain, 1985)
5. 50 Squadron RAF Operational Record Book (Record of Events for the period 1 to 28 February 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 27/489/4 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/D8451283
6. Aircraft Movement Card (Air Ministry Form AM.78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/PD338-PD444/mobile/index.html
7. Aircraft Accident Record Card (Air Ministry Form AM.1180): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-1180/Lancaster/1945/February/prt1/1.html
8. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2043055/charles-ridley-fairbairn/
9. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2032344/jack-pannett/
10. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2047918/john-stanley-edward-locock/
11. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2043095/allen-berkeley-fitzhardinge/
12. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2032799/barry-sydney-smith/
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._50_Squadron_RAF#Reformation_and_Second_World_War
14. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Skellingthorpe
15. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siegen#History

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
29-Aug-2013 19:27	JINX	Added
23-May-2016 06:38	Red Dragon	Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
31-Oct-2018 14:32	Nepa	Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
17-Jun-2023 17:02	lpm	Updated
23-Jan-2025 19:35	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Location, Country, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]