Accident Avro Lancaster Mk III JB731, Wednesday 22 March 1944
ASN logo
 
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information. You can contribute by submitting additional or updated information.

Date:Wednesday 22 March 1944
Time:20:39 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic LANC model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Avro Lancaster Mk III
Owner/operator:97 (The Straits Settlements) Sqn RAF
Registration: JB731
MSN: OF-F
Fatalities:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:North Sea -
Phase: Unknown
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Burn, North Yorkshire
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Takeoff at 18:45 hrs for an operation against Frankfurt am Main in Germany.

The entire crew of seven perished. Six of them are missing in action, one rests in the Sage War Cemetery (Germany).

The 97 Squadron ORB reads:
JB731F […] Up 1845. 6 x 2000lb. At 2038 hours an SOS received, no fix. At 2039 hours message received from “Pulham”, position 53.21N 03.45S – baling out. No further news – missing.

Crew:-
Pilot : Pilot Officer William Patrick Moroney RAFVR 158922 (NCO:1293584 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 30 November, 1943) [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Frederick Thomas Coulter RAFVR 1234081 [Killed]
Navigator : Flying Officer Martin Jenkins RAFVR 144925 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Flight Sergeant Geoffrey Stuart Davies RAFVR 1315680 [Killed]
Wireless Operator : Sergeant David Dushman RAF 657694 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Pilot Officer John Bell RCAF J/88407 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 31 December, 1940) [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant Cecil Albert Mills RAFVR 1601802 [Killed]

Sources:

https://raf-pathfinders.com/crew-moroney-2/
http://www.spurensuche-owl.de/front_content.php?idart=191
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=JB731&qand=&exc1=&exc2=&search_only=&search_type=exact
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
20-Jan-2018 15:14 gerard57 Added
01-Nov-2018 15:26 Nepa Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
10-Nov-2018 22:42 Nepa Updated [Operator, Operator, ]
01-Apr-2021 12:04 TigerTimon Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Phase, ]
18-May-2021 15:44 TigerTimon Updated [Time, Cn, Location, Country, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ]
22-Mar-2024 07:45 Rob Davis Updated [Source, Narrative, ]

Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2025 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org