6 Bomber Group January 29/30, 1943
22 Halifaxes from 408 and 419 Squadrons were joined by 40 Wellingtons from 420, 424, 425, 426, and 427 Squadrons on an attack on the dock area of Lorient. This attack took place with the crews over the target at between 11,000 and 19,000 feet dropping 90,000 lbs of high explosives and 100,000 lbs of incendiaries. The crews encountered severe icing and bad weather over the target. Bombing was scattered.
As well as the crews that went to Lorient, 420 Squadron sent 4 crews on a mining operation. 2 @ 1,500 lb mines were sown from 900 feet. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Asawayita) RAF Middleton St George. Halifax BII aircraft DT 623 VR-S made a wheels up crash landing returning from operations over the dock area at Lorient, France
FS JMB O'Connor (RCAF), Flight Lieutenant AP Cranswick (RAF), Sergeant FE Johnston (RAF),Warrant Officer W McRobbie (RAF), FS D McKenzie (RAF), Pilot Officer JC Garton (RAF )and Flight Sergeant ILJ Howard (RAF) all survived, safe
Warrant Officer Class 2 JMB O'Connor would be missing, presumed killed 1943-04-28 in 419 Squadron Halifax JB 923 VR-Q while on a mine-laying sortie off the coast of Norway
WR Chorley notes that Flight Lieutenant Cranswick left 419 Sqn soon after for operations as a Pathfinder, where he became one of the premier bomber pilots in Bomber Command. He was killed July 4-5, 1944, as a Squadron Leader DSO while acting as Primary Visual Marker on an operation over France.
Bomber Command Museum Monthly ORB
