Date:	Monday 15 January 1945
Time:	overnight
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk I
Owner/operator:	625 Sqn RAF
Registration:	PD388
MSN:	CF-Z
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Wisenbach, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, 30km SSW of Bonn -   Germany
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Avro Lancaster B.Mk.1 PD338/CF-Z, 625 Squadron, RAF: Missing on mission to Merseburg. Took off 19:14 14 Jan 1945 from RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire to bomb the Leuna synthetic oil plant. According to one source Lancaster PB388 came down at Wisenbach, Rhein-Neckar-Kreis, Baden-Württemberg, 30km South South-West of Bonn. All five crew on board killed

Crew of Lancaster PB388: All killed in action, and whereabouts (with one exception) unknown
Sergeant Ambrose William HALL (2200662) RAFVR aged 40
Flying Officer Herbert William HAZELL DFC (170210) aged 23
Sergeant Oliver James PULFORD (1852074) Flight Engineer aged 19 - may have bailed out and initially survived (see below)
Pilot Officer Stanley SELLERS (188352) aged 20
Flying Officer Malcolm Jack SHENTON (153642) aged 23

Four of the five crew lost were commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial. The exception was Sgt Oliver James Pulford, who was commemorated at the Hotton War Cemetary in Belgium. One of the bodies of the crew was discovered in the Eifel region of Germany 8 March 1945, near Dumpelfeld, some 6 km North of Adenau: this was probably Sgt Pulford, and indicates that he bailed out and survived the initial incident, only to die later.

The DFC (Distinguished Flying Cross) awarded to Flying Officer Harbert Hazell was issued posthumously. As announced in the "London Gazette":

"HAZELL, Herbert William, F/O (170210, RAFVR) - No. 625 Squadron - Distinguished Flying Cross - awarded as per London Gazette dated 19 October 1945, with effect from 13th January, 1945 (since deceased). Family in London. Former airman 1391910, commissioned 22 December 1943. Flying Officer, 22 June 1944. Killed in action. 25 January 1945, Lancaster PD388 (CF-Z), mission to Leuna oil works. Name on Runnymede Memorial. Citation in AMB 19961.

As pilot, this officer has taken part in numerous operational missions against the enemy, in the course of which he has invariably displayed high skill, fortitude and devotion to duty".

1. Air-Britain Royal Air Force Aircraft PA100-RZ999
2. 625 Squadron RAF Operation Record Book (Record of Events for 1-31 January 1945): National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR27/2143/32 at https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/browse/r/h/D8417422
3. Aircraft Record Card (Air Ministry Form 78): https://lancasterbombersinfo.ipage.com/Data/Form-78s/Lancaster/PD338-PD444/mobile/index.html
4. https://aircrewremembered.com/hazell-herbert-william.html
5. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1799107/ambrose-william-hall/
6. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1799740/herbert-william-hazell/
7. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2726703/oliver-james-pulford/
8. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2941117/stanley-sellers/
9. CWGC: https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/1807022/malcolm-jack-shenton/
10. http://lewishamwarmemorials.wikidot.com/person:hazell-herbert-william
11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._625_Squadron_RAF
12. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Kelstern
13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiesenbach_(Rhein-Neckar)

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
29-Aug-2013 20:15	JINX	Added
28-Oct-2014 16:08	MiG15	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, ]
15-Jan-2025 17:53	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, Category, ]