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| Date: | Tuesday 2 June 1942 |
| Time: | night |
| Type: |  Avro Lancaster Mk I |
| Owner/operator: | 83 Sqn RAF |
| Registration: | R5564 |
| MSN: | OL-P |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | North Sea W of Katwijk aan Zee, Zuid-Holland -
 Netherlands
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire |
On the night of 2 June 1942, the crew of Lancaster R5564 "OL-P" participated in a 1000 bomber raid against the German city of Essen. They took off in Lancaster R5564 from their base at Scampton at 23:10 on 1 June 1942. Nothing was heard from them after take off and it is presumed they crashed into the North Sea, west of Katwijk, Netherlands. Probably, the aircraft was shot down by night fighter pilot Hauptmann Erich Simon of the Ergänzungsstaffel/NJG 2, who was flying a Ju 88 C-6 from Gilze-Rijen airfield.
Plt Off Billing's body washed ashore on the Dutch coast and was buried on 1 August 1942 in the New Eastern Cemetery at Amsterdam. His six comrades are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial:
Crew:-
Pilot:121911 Plt Off Frank Rumsey Busby - Runnymede Memorial Panel 68 (NCO:903536 Commission Gazetted : Tuesday 09 June, 1942)
Co-Pilot:655493 Sgt Leonard Frederick Smith - Runnymede Memorial 94
Navigator:404526 Plt Off Kelvin Cholwill Billing RNZAF - Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery Plot 69. Row E. Grave 12.
Bomb Aimer:1006976 Sgt Clifford Baines - Runnymede Memorial Panel 77
Wireless Operator/Air Gunner:551849 Sgt Joseph Dick Dodsworth - Runnymede Memorial Panel 81
Air Gunner:702828 Sgt William Anderson Hall - Runnymede Memorial Panel 84
Air Gunner:902896 Sgt Stanley Jack Ross Hoff - Runnymede Memorial Panel 92
This was the first Lancaster lost on operations from 83 Squadron.
Sources:
1. Nachtjagd Combat Archive The Early Years part three
2. http://www.basher82.nl/Data/Amsterdam/Billing.htm
3. http://netherlandsnewzealandwargraves.weebly.com/amsterdam.html
4. https://www.findagrave.com/page=pv&GRid=12726197
5. http://www.sonsofdamien.co.uk/Man-Lanc%20serials%20page2.htm
6. CWGC
7. https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T1556&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
8. Rob Davis Bomber Command Losses Database
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Dec-2008 11:45 | ASN archive | Added |
| 26-Dec-2014 02:20 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 25-Jul-2016 15:15 | Anon. | Updated [Cn, ] |
| 01-Jun-2017 07:18 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 07-Nov-2017 20:37 | TigerTimon | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 05-Jan-2018 16:30 | Red Dragon | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Departure airport, Narrative, ] |
| 06-Jan-2018 19:15 | Red Dragon | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 11-Nov-2018 12:27 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Destination airport, Operator, ] |
| 23-Apr-2020 20:12 | TigerTimon | Updated [Time, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Source, Damage, Narrative, ] |
| 18-Jun-2022 03:59 | Ron Averes | Updated [Location, ] |
| 22-May-2024 08:13 | Rob Davis | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
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