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| Date: | Sunday 4 April 1943 |
| Time: | 00:24 |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 156 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | W4894 |
| MSN: | GT-T |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Waddenzee 15 km E of Texel, Noord-Holland -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Warboys, UK |
Aircraft was a pathfinder from 156 Sqn returning from a raid on Essen when it was shot down by a Bf 110 G-4 of the Stab IV/NJG 1, flown by ace Major Helmut Lent. Wreckage from the aircraft was not discovered and identified until 1989/1990. My uncle was the radio operator on the raid.
There is a museum on the island of Texel in Holland commemorating this plane crash and its occupants, including my uncle F/SGT Reg Byass, the pilot of this plane who was also killed in this crash. One crew member is buried at Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands, the six other crew members are remembered at the Runnymede Memorial, England.
Takeoff time: 19:48
Crew:-
Pilot : Flight Sergeant Reginald Anderson Byass RAAF Aus/416410 [Killed]
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Gilbert Robert Minns RAFVR 1393358 [Killed]
Navigator : Flying Officer Gregory James Black RAAF Aus/409519 [Killed]
Bomb Aimer : Sergeant Norman Ray Thurecht RAAF Aus/414102 [Killed]
Wireless Operator : Sergeant Russell Seymour Trigwell RAAF Aus/415000 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Flight Sergeant Donald Lawrence Robertson RCAF R/102097 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant Stanley Edward Crooks RAFVR 1321533 [Killed]
Sources:
https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T2174&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2008 11:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 10-Dec-2009 21:05 | Triggy | Updated |
| 07-Jun-2012 00:21 | billbyass | Updated [Country, Narrative, ] |
| 07-Jun-2012 00:21 | harro | Updated [Country, ] |
| 27-Aug-2017 18:37 | w.bleumink | Updated [Cn, Narrative, ] |
| 03-Apr-2018 13:53 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 03-Nov-2018 10:07 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator, ] |
| 15-Jun-2022 07:09 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, ] |
| 03-Apr-2024 06:51 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
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