Accident Avro Lancaster Mk I ME637, Sunday 20 February 1944
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Date:Sunday 20 February 1944
Time:01:46-59
Type:Silhouette image of generic LANC model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Avro Lancaster Mk I
Owner/operator:166 Sqn RAF
Registration: ME637
MSN: AS-F
Fatalities:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:North Sea 15 km NW of Ameland, Friesland -   Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Kirmington, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Takeoff at 23:50 hrs for an operation against aircraft assembly factories at Leipzig in Germany.
Outward-bound, the aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Oberfeldwebel Heinz Vinke of the 11./NJG 1 (based at the Leeuwarden and Bergen airfields), who was flying a Bf 110 G-4.

Crew:-
Pilot : Squadron Leader Ronald Bows RAF 40363 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Francis Gilbert Brooks RAFVR 777769 [Killed]
Navigator : Flying Officer Wyvern Frederick Hughes RNZAF NZ/422403 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Flight Sergeant Henry Gregg RAFVR 1436515 [Killed]
Wireless Operator : Sergeant Albert Kenneth Barlow RAFVR 1579353 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant Ernest Leonard Morton RAFVR 1337604 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant David Beaumont Asquith RAFVR 1143274 [Killed]

All are remembered at the Runnymede Memorial, United Kingdom (51.437693 / -0.564745).

Sources:

Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 part one
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=ME637
Google Maps
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
26-Dec-2019 13:39 TigerTimon Added
15-Jun-2022 04:21 Ron Averes Updated [Location, ]
10-Apr-2025 06:45 Rob Davis Updated [Source, Narrative, ]

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