Accident Avro Lancaster Mk II DS788, Sunday 20 February 1944
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Date:Sunday 20 February 1944
Time:02:30 LT
Type:Silhouette image of generic LANC model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different    
Avro Lancaster Mk II
Owner/operator:408 (Goose) Sqn RCAF
Registration: DS788
MSN: EQ-C
Fatalities:Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 7
Other fatalities:0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location:Wolfsbarge, Kropswolde, Groningen prv -   Netherlands
Phase: Combat
Nature:Military
Departure airport:RAF Linton-on-Ouse
Destination airport:
Narrative:
Took off from RAF Linton-on-Ouse at 0003 on their operational debut. Outward-bound for Leipzig, shot down by a night-fighter from 20,000 feet, whose fire destroyed the rudders and caused the Lancaster at Kropswolde, (Groningen) in the SW outskirts of Hoogezand Sappemeer, Holland.

Aged 19, Fg Off Frampton RCAF was amongst the youngest pilots killed on Bomber Command operations during 1944. Wreckage from his aircraft was salvaged during October 1973.

Crew:-
Pilot : Flying Officer John Albert Frampton RCAF J/24171 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant F W C Robertson RAF 630958 [Evaded]
Navigator : Pilot Officer John James Astles RCAF J/86400 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Flying Officer George Walker Reynolds RCAF J/24536 [PoW]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant Kenneth Witty Tindall RAFVR 1458532 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Pilot Officer Kenneth Hugh Bennett RCAF J/88336 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Pilot Officer Kenneth Smith RCAF J/89042 [Killed]

All five casualties lie at the Hoogezand-Sappemeer (Kropswolde) Protestant Churchyard, Netherlands (53.148587 / 6.723956)

Sources:

https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T3430&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
Google Maps
Royal Air Force Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War 1944 Page 89.
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc

Revision history:

Date/timeContributorUpdates
17-Dec-2008 11:45 ASN archive Added
06-Jun-2016 21:28 Red Dragon Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ]
06-Oct-2018 17:51 Nepa Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator, ]
24-Dec-2019 19:48 TigerTimon Updated [Time, Location, Source, Narrative, ]
14-Jun-2022 09:59 Ron Averes Updated [Location, ]
29-Sep-2025 06:40 Rob Davis Updated [Source, Narrative, ]

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