Lancaster JD734
460 SQUADRON RAAF
Aircraft code: ?
Date: 9/10 April 1944
Mission: Mining in Baltic off Danzig
Crash Site: Gunderup, north of Varde, west part of Jutland.
Crew:
F/Sgt. | William George Boyce | RAAF | KIA |
Sgt. | Sidney Edwards | RAF | KIA |
Sgt. | Thomas McKinstry | RAF | KIA |
F/Sgt. | Donald Henry Martin | RAAF | KIA |
F/Sgt. | Edgar Oberhardt | RAAF | KIA |
P/O | Robert John Proud | RAAF Pilot | KIA |
F/O | Leonard Myles Ryan | RAAF | KIA |
Remarks: Shot down at 04:00 hours, probably by nightfighter. Crew buried at Esbjerg Cemetery.
This event is described in Peter Firkin's "Strike and Return" as follows:-
"Another heavy loss during this period was sustained on the mine-laying trip to Danzig Bay on 9th April when of 12 aircraft dispatched, three very experienced crews were missing, and two others - those of Pilot Officer R.N. Wade and Flight Lieutenant A.V. Willis, D.F.C. - came back severely damaged from flak. Flight Sergeant W.D. McKenzie's crew, doing their first op., crashed on take-off and all were killed."
"Not only did the crews have to contend with tremendous heavy flak over their "Gardening" area, but they also had to withstand numerous night-fighter attacks whilst flying over Denmark."
"The minelaying operations were all part of the plan to bottle up the Baltic Sea and stop seaborne supplies from reaching the Russian Front."
Back to 460 Squadron Home Page
Can anyone help me with more information?
"Australia @ War" WWII Research Products
© Peter Dunn OAM 2020 |
Please
e-mail me |
This page first produced 10 January 1998
This page last updated 21 February 2020