Banner




* Report: July 15th, 2023: The Belgians Parade to the London Cenotaph *

RAF aircraft's crash sites in Province of Luxembourg:
Nassogne

* Return to the previous page *


Vers le site en français

Last update: 25/06/23


Elegy to
the Heroes of Silence


* To the 76 Squadron *
* To the crew of MZ740-MP-R *
* To the monument erected in remembrance *
* Cemetery where rest the crew *

Crash site of Halifax MZ740-MP-R
26/12/1944

aircraft
cest raf squadron
Unit: 76 Squadron
Aircraft: Halifax
Code: MZ740-MP-R
Base: Holme-on-Spalding Moor
Mission: Saint-Vith
Crew officer: F/O WOOLF, DEVOE
Incident: Shot down by Flak

Location: (Prov. Luxembourg)

crash

Facts

On 26 December 1944 RAF Bomber Command dispatched 294 aircraft (146 Lancasters, 136 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitos) of all the bomber groups (except No.100 Group) to attack enemy troop positions near St Vith. This was the first time since mid-October that aircraft from all the bomber groups had joined together in one raid. The bombing appeared to be concentrated and accurate. 2 Halifaxes did not return from this operation, while a Lancaster force-landed near Reims with a killed aboard.
One of theses losses was the Halifax III MZ740 MP-R of 76 Sqn RAF, that took off at 1252 hrs from Holme-on-Spalding Moor, Yorkshire. It was hit by Flak which completely shattered the nose section. Moments later, the rest of the Halifax crashed into woods near Nassogne, 19 km SW of la Roche-Ardenne (Belgian Ardennes).
The only survivor was the mid-upper gunner who was captured and ended in Stalag Luft Barth Vogelsang (L1).

Source: Aviation Safety

crash

The crew: from left to right, F/O Devoe Woolf - F/S Oscar Frederick Newton - F/S Ken M. Mason - F/O Ralph Hay Emerson - F/O George Floyd - W/O Thomas Richard William Smith, Sgt John Shirra Gray. - P/O AB Clark does'nt appear on the picture

Sources:

The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
Aircrew Remembered
ligne

Back to the top

logo
"The Belgians Remember Them" - Rue de Maulde, 2 - B/7830 HOVES (Silly), Belgique - Tel: +32/(0)479/245.148
Bank: BE97 0018 3886 3049 - BIC: GEBABEBB - Email: belgian.remember(at)gmail.com

Reproduction or distribution in any form of texts, lists and documents presented on this site is forbidden without the express authorization of the author
© Copyright "THE BELGIANS REMEMBER THEM" - 2017, all rights reserved - for all countries

Logo Wilfred Burie Webmastering Compteur.fr analytics