6 Bomber Group May 11/12, 1944
26 Lancasters from 408 and 419 Squadrons were joined by 80 Halifaxes from 424, 427, 428, 429, 431, 432, 433, and 434 Squadrons on an attack of the rail yards at Boulogne. The crews were over the target at between 10,000 and 13,000 feet, releasing 920,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, some bombing hit the yards but much missed and fell into the town.
While most crews went to Boulogne, 6 Halifaxes from 433 Squadron were ordered on a mining operation to Brest, Lorient and St. Nazaire. The crews were over the gardens at 12,000 feet, sowing 10@1500 lb mines. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
135 aircraft - 80 Halifaxes, 47 Lancasters, 8 Mosquitoes - of 6 and 8 Groups. 2 Halifaxes lost. Some bombs fell in the railway yards but the main weight of the raid missed· the target and fell on nearby civilian housing. 128 civilians were killed.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Halifax aircraft NA 500 missing from a night operation, Collided with a 427 Sqdn Halifax both machines crashing between le Portal (Pas-de-Calais) in the NW outskirts of Outreau and Sw of the entrance to Boulogne-sur-Mar Harbour. . Squadron Leader C.K. Barrett, Flying Officer D.G. Bentley, P/Os J.S.Thomson, T.A. Goundrey, A. Hamilton, FSs W.H. Riding (RAF) and G.E. Cole (RAF) were killed. One of the crew, not Canadian, missing believed killed.