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| Date: | Wednesday 26 May 1943 |
| Time: | 01:52 |
| Type: |  Short Stirling Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 15 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | BF534 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Other fatalities: | 14 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Lorsbeck, south of Jülich, Nordrhein-Westfalen -
 Germany
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Mildenhall |
At 01:51, night fighter pilot Major Walter Ehle shot down 77 Squadron Halifax JB837. The aircraft exploded with a full bomb load with such force that the two Stirlings flying close by, 15 Squadron BF534 and 7 Squadron EF361, were both knocked down, both crashing south of Jülich. Ehle was credited for all three victories by the Luftwaffe.
Target: Düsseldorf
Call Sign: LS-L
Takeoff time: 23:57
Crew:-
Pilot : Flying Officer Ivan Samuel Thomson RCAF J/15487 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Dennis Patrick O'Riordan RAF 549434 [Killed]
Observer : Warrant Officer Class II Charles Thomas Smith RCAF R/84977 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Pilot Officer Raymond Edgar Newman RAFVR 136531 (NCO:702224 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 30 March, 1943) [Killed]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant Hugh John Morris RAFVR 1370964 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant Thomas Charles Lewis Orchard RAFVR 1609625 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant Leonard Ray Smith RAFVR 1446946 [Killed]
All lie at the Rheinberg War Cemetery, Germany (51.529254 / 6.564161)
Sources:
Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943 Part One
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=BF534
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 24-May-2018 18:51 | TigerTimon | Added |
| 28-May-2018 16:49 | TigerTimon | Updated [Other fatalities, Location, Narrative, ] |
| 06-Nov-2018 20:06 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
| 19-Mar-2025 07:29 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
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