6 Bomber Group May 24/25, 1944
30 Lancasters from 408 and 419 Squadrons were joined by 60 Halifaxes from 424, 427, 429, and 433 Squadrons on an attack of the 2 rail yards at Aachen. The crews were over the target at between 16,000 and 20,000 feet, releasing 810,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, one rail yard was severely damaged with some damage to the others.
While some of the group attacked Aachen, 45 Halifaxes from 426, 428, 431, and 434 Squadrons were ordered on an attack of the Coastal Gun Batteries at Trouville. The crews were over the target at between 6,000 and 7,500 feet, releasing 421,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, bombing was successful. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
442 aircraft - 264 Lancasters, 162 Halifaxcs, 16 Mosquitoes - of all groups except 5 Group to attack 2 railway yards nt Aachen - Aachen-West and Rothe Brclo (east of the town). These were important links in the railway system between Germany a France. 18 Halifaxes and 7 Lancasters lost, 5-7 per cent of the force.
The Aachen report duly records that the 2 railway yards were the targets attack with the railways to the east of Aachen being particularly hard hit. But, because t was a German town, Bomber Command sent more aircraft than normal for railway raids and many bombs fell on Aachen itself and in villages near the railway yards. The Monheim war-industry factory and the town's gasworks were among many buildings destroyed. 207 people were killed in Aachen and 121 were seriously injured. 14,~ people were bombed out. Several villages near the railway yards also incurred casualties. Eilendorf, near the Rothe Erde yards, had 52 people killed.
The Aachen report comments on the great number of high-explosive bombs and the small number of incendiaries dropped. There were only 6 large fires. 288 high explosive bombs were found to be duds, approximately IO per cent of those dropped.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. Lancaster X aircraft KB 706 VR-A was lost on an operation against targets in Aachen, Germany, shot down by night fighter pilot Obleutnant H Nabrich of 3/NJG 1. The bomber crashed behind Kromstraat 2 at Tilburg , Noord-Brabant, Netherlands with the loss of the entire crew
Pilot Officer DM Robson (RCAF), Flying Officer GR Lauder (RCAF), Pilot Officer PS Smith (RCAF), Sergeant J Hoarty (RAFVR), Sergeant BR Morgan (RAFVR) and Sergeant THJ Smith (RAFVR) were all killed in action
Pilot Officer WD Lillico (RCAF)(USA) survived briefly but died of his injuries shortly after he was captured
[Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database]...
419 Squadron RCAF 1941 to 1945 Crew of Lancaster KB706
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