Accident Avro Lancaster Mk III ED720, Friday 9 July 1943
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Date:Friday 9 July 1943
Time:02:50 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic LANC model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Avro Lancaster Mk III
Owner/operator:106 Sqn RAF
Registration: ED720
MSN: ZN-R
Fatalities:Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 8
Other fatalities:2
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:field between Caudry and Béthencourt, département du Nord -   France
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Syerston, Nottinghamshire
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Takeoff at 22:30 hrs for a bombing operation against Köln in Germany.

Homeward-bound, the aircraft was intercepted by the crew of Oberleutnant Friedrich Graeff, Uffz. Heinrich Köhler & Bordmechaniker Ofw. Paul Scheuermann of the Stab I./NJG 4. The two aircraft collided and crashed.
There were only two survivors, one from each crew.

Crew:-
Pilot : 1st Lieutenant (US) Gene Rosner USAAF [Killed]
2nd Pilot : Pilot Officer Geoffrey Francis Disbury RAFVR 149510 [Killed] (NCO:1537036 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 14 September, 1943)
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Edward William John (Eddy) Amor RAFVR 752196 [Killed]
Navigator : Sergeant Wilfred Bailey RAFVR 1440585 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Sergeant Frederick Henry Smooker RAF 1048639 [PoW]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant Jack Hougham RAFVR 1271588 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Flight Sergeant James Reginald Calder RCAF R/99456 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Flight Sergeant Dalton Arnold Turner RCAF R/111837 [Killed]

Sources:

Nachtjagd Combat Archive 1943 part two
http://francecrashes39-45.net/page_fiche_av.php?id=3836
Google Maps
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
14-Nov-2020 18:24 TigerTimon Added
08-Jul-2023 05:37 Rob Davis Updated

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