Mission: Lutzkendorf

Date: 04/05th April 1945 (Wednesday/Thursday)

Unit: No. 626 Squadron

Type: Lancaster I

Serial: PD295

Code: UM-B2

Base: RAF Wickenby, Lincolnshire.

Location: North Sea?

Pilot: Fl/Lt. Kenneth Horace Eames DFC 141706 RAFVR Age 23. Killed

Fl/Eng: Sgt. George Harry Fletcher 1595397 RAFVR Age 33. Killed

Nav: F/O. Arthur Desmond Moore 163606 RAFVR Age 35. Killed

Air/Bmr: F/O. William Young 154575 RAFVR Age 22. Killed

W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. William Abrum Mitcham 195029 RAFVR Age 21. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. Ronald Frederick Clarke 3031556 RAFVR Age 19. Killed

Air/Gnr: Sgt. George Davies 1898051 RAFVR Age ? Killed

REASON FOR LOSS:

Took off at 21.01 hrs from RAF Wickenby, Lincolnshire on an operation to bomb the Wintershall synthetic-oil plant with 244 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. Moderate damage was caused to the target.

No claims as to the loss of PD295 but lost presumably over the North Sea. Four of the crew are buried in France - Sgt. Fletcher, found near Den Helder on 18th June 1945, lies in Texel in Den Burg General Cemetery, while Fl/Lt. Eames and F/O. Young are commemorated on the Runnymede memorial.

Also lost on this operation from the same squadron:

Lancaster III PB411 UM-Y2 piloted by F/O. Harold W. Reid RCAF killed with all 7 crew members.

Burial details:

Fl/Lt. Kenneth Horace Eames DFC Runnymede memorial. Panel 265. Son of Walter John and Emma Eames and husband of Doris Edith Elsie Eames of Tonbridge, Kent, England.

Sgt. George Harry Fletcher. Texel (Denburg) Cemetery. Plot K. Row 8. Grave 184. Son of Sidney and Lilian Fletcher of Harrogate and husband of Margaret Fletcher of Harrogate, England.

F/O. Arthur Desmond Moore. Calais Southern Cemetery. Plot 5. Grave 2. Son of Arthur and Alice Maud Moore and husband of Octavia Mary Moore of Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England.

F/O. William Young. Runnymede memorial. Panel 268. Son of William and Marian Findlay Young of Penport, Dumfrieshire, Scotland.

P/O. William Abrum Mitcham. Boulogne Eastern Cemetery. Plot 11. Row B. Grave 8. Son of William and Agnes Mitcham of Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, England.

Sgt. Ronald Frederick Clarke. Boulogne Easter Cemetery. Plot 11. Row B. Grave 7. Son of Frederick George and Hazel Clarke of Haslemere, Surrey, England.

Sgt. George Davies. Pihen-les-Guines War Cemetery. Grave 1.C.6. No further details as yet.

Researched by Aircrew Remembered volunteer, researcher and specialist genealogist Linda Ibrom for relatives of this crew. With thanks to Bill Chorley - 'Bomber Command Losses Vol. 6', Commonwealth Graves Commission.