6 Bomber Group June 08/09, 1944
70 Halifaxes from 420, 424, 425, 426, 427, 429, and 432 squadrons were joined by 10 Lancasters from 408 squadron on an attack of the rail yards at Mayenne. The purpose of this attack was to stop German reinforcements from reaching the battle area. The crews were over the target at between 3,000 and 7,000 feet, releasing 648,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, this attack was successful.
As the crews were attacking Mayenne, 12 Halifaxes from 428 and 433 squadrons were sent on a mining operation to Brest, St.Nazaire, and Lorient. The crews were over the gardens at 14,000 feet, sowing20@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
On 1944-04-27, Squadron Leader A. Ross Dawson, the Chief Technical Officer with 1664/1679 HCU at Wombleton, wrote in his diary:
"Well we had our first fatal prang last night in a long, long time & our second so far this month. Nobody seems to know quite what happened & I guess they never will since all the crew were killed. It was QY-A for Apple LW279 and what a crash! I went down to investigate it this morning & it sure was an awful mess. He had apparently spun in out-of-control on his way home from a cross-country last night & landed right smack in the middle of a farmer's field. It was one of those fields covered with a few inches of earth & a layer of hard rock underneath & he hit so hard it practically disintegrated the whole aircraft. All the engines were burst open like rose petals & it was hard to recognise anything. It would be a quick and merciful death at any rate . . . They are holding an official investigation but I can tell them right now it won't do any good."
Diary of A Ross Dawson, courtesy CWM