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| Date: | Thursday 6 August 1942 |
| Time: | 02:26 |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 207 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | R5761 |
| MSN: | EM-T |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Near the church at Megen, Noord-Brabant -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Bottesford, Lincolnshire |
Lancaster B.Mk.1 R5761 "EM-T" of 207 Sqn., RAF. Airborne 22:58 on 5 Aug 1942 from Bottesford to bomb a target in Essen.
Homeward-bound, the aircraft was shot down by the night fighter crew of Oberleutnant Loos & Unteroffizier Gumm of the 1./NJG 1, who were flying a Bf 110 F-4 from Venlo airfield.
Crew:-
Pilot : Flight Lieutenant Gerald Antony Ings RAFVR 61471 (NCO:740378 : Commission Gazetted Friday 28 March, 1941) [Killed]
2nd Pilot : Sergeant Raymond Bell-Berry RAFVR 1076769 [Killed]
Observer : Warrant Officer William James Aubrey Shapter RCAF R/78148 [Killed]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant Jack Culley RAFVR 1186097 [Killed]
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Flight Sergeant Geoffrey Charles Everitt Cross of Merit (Poland) RAFVR 751919 [Killed]
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant Dennis Rodney Manser RAFVR 1271941 [Killed]
Rear Gunner : Sergeant John William Edward Holland RAF 528167 [Killed]
All lie at the Uden War Cemetery, Netherlands (51.663822 / 5.612422)
The body of Sgt Holland was recovered from the River Maas 12 Aug 1942 and he is buried with the rest of the crew in Uden War Cemetery. Sgt Everitt's Military Medal was awarded by the Polish authorities. Seven of this crew survived a ditching in the North Sea on 21 June 1942 in Lancaster R5860
Sources:
1. http://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/item2.php?SGLO=T1759
2. http://www.207squadron.rafinfo.org.uk/war_memorials.htm
3. http://www.bbm.org.uk/Everitt.htm
4. http://www.sonsofdamien.co.uk/Man-Lanc%20serials%20page2.htm
5. Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part three
6. Google Maps
7. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database http://robdavistelford.co.uk/webspace/raf_bc
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2008 11:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 30-Dec-2014 18:22 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 30-Dec-2014 18:49 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative, ] |
| 06-Jun-2015 09:53 | Cliford | Updated [Time, Operator, Departure airport, Narrative, ] |
| 12-Aug-2017 21:17 | TigerTimon | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 01-Nov-2018 08:59 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Destination airport, Operator, ] |
| 14-May-2020 20:08 | TigerTimon | Updated [Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 16-Apr-2025 06:45 | Rob Davis | Updated [Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
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