6 Group Unavailable
664 aircraft - 340 Halifaxes, 310 Lancasters, 14 Mosquitoes - of I, 4, 6 and 8 Groups. 23 Halifaxes and 8 Lancasters lost, 4·7 per cent of the force. This was the first large raid on Hannover since October 1943. Bombs fell all over the city and the local report, based on messages from 16 of the 18 police districts, shows that 493 buildings, containing 3,605 flats/apartments, .were destroyed and that approximately 250 people were killed. No further details are available
419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. Lancaster BX aircraft KB 722 VR-A "Hecklin Hare II" while flying in formation with aircraft outbound for an operation to bomb targets in Hanover, Germany, was shot up by another Lancaster and lost two engines. After safely jettisoning the bomb-load, the pilot turned towards Brussels and an emergency landing field at Juvencourt, France, but this airfield was fogged in. Unable to attempt a cross-channel flight home, Pilot Officer Mallen on only his second operation, found a break in the fog and put the Lancaster down in a farmer's field at St Quentin, France. The landing was heavy but the crew all survived, some injured
Pilot Officer ND Mallen (RCAF) and Sergeant NR Poole (RCAF) survived, both with a sprained ankle, Flight Sergeant RS Dickson (RCAF) survived with cuts to face and leg and an injured shoulder, Flying Officer JAF Miller DFC (RCAF), Warrant Officer 2 RB Cameron (RCAF) and Sergeant C Drinka (RCAF) were uninjured and Sergeant PW Hall (RAFVR) survived with facial cuts
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
RAF and RCAF Aircraft Nose Art in World War II by Clarence Simonsen, page 111
[Royal air Force Serial and Image database]...
419 Squadron RCAF 1941 to 1945 Crew of KN722 Hecklin Hare
Search for France-Crashes 39-45
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