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| Date: | Friday 12 May 1944 |
| Time: | 00:23 claim |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 61 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | LM454 |
| MSN: | QR-Z |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Melsele, Beveren, East Flanders -
 Belgium
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire |
Takeoff at 22:39 hrs for an operation to military infrastructure at Leopoldsburg in Limburg.
The aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Oberleutnant Heinz Rökker of the 2./NJG 2, who was flying Ju 88 R-2 4R+CK from Langensalza airfield in Germany.
Crew:-
Navigator : Flying Officer Ronald Peter Nicolas Kayser RAFVR 132840 (NCO:1319390 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 02 February, 1943) [Killed]
Air Gunner : Pilot Officer Jack Hilton Eastwood RAFVR 171333 (NCO:1527498 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 07 March, 1944) [Killed]
Flight Sergeant Algernon Early William Ayre RAF 658985 [Killed]
Sergeant Gilbert Frederick Crump RAFVR 701241 [Killed]
Sergeant Eric Ronald Kingman RAFVR 1334271 [Killed]
Warrant Officer Edward Middleton RAFVR 1031088 [Killed]
Sergeant Robert Owen Willis RAF 1629806 [PoW]
Sources:
Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 part two
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/AlliedLossesIncidents/?q=LM454
Google Maps
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 07-Apr-2020 10:57 | TigerTimon | Added |
| 26-Jun-2022 21:37 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, ] |
| 10-May-2024 07:11 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
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