Date:	Monday 22 May 1944
Time:	01:44 LT
Type:	Avro Lancaster Mk III
Owner/operator:	625 Sqn RAF
Registration:	LM513
MSN:	CF-Y
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:	0
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Antwerp -   Belgium
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	RAF Kelstern, Lincolnshire
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Takeoff at 21:58 hrs for a bombing operation against Duisburg in Germany.
Homeward-bound, the aircraft was intercepted by night fighter pilot Oberstleutnant Günther Radusch of the Stab/NJG 2, who was flying a Junkers Ju 88 from Deelen airfield in the Netherlands. This was credited as his 56th voctory.

Obstlt. Radusch shot down two more Lancasters on this night, his tally rising to 58 confirmed victories.

Crew:-
Pilot : 1st Lieutenant (US) Max E Dowden USAAF O-886262 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Pilot Officer Francis Harold Rowlands Moody RAFVR 177085 (NCO:2206935 : Commission Gazetted Tuesday 18 July, 1944) [Killed]
Navigator : Flying Officer David James Weepers RCAF J/28845 [PoW]
Bomb Aimer : Sergeant Arthur William Brickenden RCAF R/160205 [PoW]
Wireless Operator : Sergeant Richard E Reeves RAF 1317854 [PoW]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant Russell Margerison RAF 2204613 [PoW]
Rear Gunner : Flight Sergeant Gilbert Francis Joseph 'Gib' McElroy RCAF R/169230 [PoW]

Sgt Margerison's book BOYS AT WAR describes the crew and operational life, including time spent at Stalag Luft VII PoW Camp, Bankau. After their original pilot, Fred Wade, was posted away after two nasty landing accidents, and the navigator Cyril Leverett was grounded after developing appendicitis, 1/Lt Dowden and Sgt Weepers replaced them. The original bomb aimer was "Taffy Hutchins" but he was removed from the crew when he jettisoned the front escape hatch during an in-flight incident, without having been ordered to do so. This was considered to be sufficiently poor airmanship to warrant his removal from the crew.

Margerison and Reeves remained at large, aided by various Resistance members, until mid July when they were captured by police in Antwerp and turned over to PoW captivity at Bankau until the end of the war.

Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1944 part three
http://www.aircrewremembered.com/dowden-max-eugene-1.html
Theo Boiten: Nachtjagd 1944 vol 3, p. 011.
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
"Boys At War" Russell Margerison

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Aug-2020 19:26	TigerTimon	Added
17-Aug-2020 20:13	TigerTimon	Updated [Time, ]
05-Nov-2022 09:17	Ron Averes	Updated [Location, ]
07-May-2023 07:23	Anon.	Updated
17-May-2024 07:11	Rob Davis	Updated [Source, Narrative, ]