Accident Avro Lancaster Mk III DV194, Wednesday 15 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 15 March 1944
Time:22:58 claim
Type:Silhouette image of generic LANC model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Avro Lancaster Mk III
Owner/operator:625 Sqn RAF
Registration: DV194
MSN: CF-F
Fatalities:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Obereschach, Villingen-Schwenningen, Baden-Württemberg -   Germany
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Takeoff at 19:08 hrs for an operation to Stuttgart in Baden-Württemberg.
Outward-bound, the aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Feldwebel Alfred Rauer of the 3./NJG 1, who was flying Bf 110 G-4 G9+LL from Laon-Athies airfield in France.

Crew:
Pilot: 574399 F/Sgt Frank Grafton Hodgkins (RAFVR)
Navigator: R/155142 WO2 Arthur John Dennis Fox (RCAF)
Flight Engineer: 966502 Sgt Norman Sinclair Allan (RAFVR)
Air Bomber: 1509409 Sgt Allen Edward Roy Ward (RAFVR)
Wireless Op/Air Gunner: 1527311 Sgt Arthur Smith (RAFVR)
Air Gunner: 1876520 Sgt Harold Edward Chapman (RAFVR)
Air Gunner: 1568128 Sgt John McDougal McIntyre (RAFVR)

Sources:

Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 part one
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/hodgkins-frank.html
https://www.schwarzwaelder-bote.de/inhalt.1944-jagdbomber-ueber-obereschach-als-das-dorf-knapp-einer-katastrophe-entging.b2d7b1cc-8b30-4729-8409-d39a5925e0bc.html
Google Maps
625 Sqn wartime records from The National Archives UK
Personnel file of WO2 Fox from Archives Canada and the CVWM
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2080454
RCAF Losses 1944
https://www.rafcommands.com/database/wardead/details.php?qnum=32344
RCAF Historical Microfiches
CASPIR

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
15-Jan-2020 20:01 TigerTimon Added
15-Mar-2021 15:32 gerard57 Updated [Other fatalities, Source, ]
08-Jun-2025 18:15 tachel 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