6 Bomber Group July 4/5, 1944
38 Lancasters from 408, 419, and 428 squadrons were joined by 64 Halifaxes from 424, 427, 429, and 433 squadron on an attack of the Rail yards at Villeneuve Saint-Georges. The crews were over the target at between 9,000and 13,000 feet, releasing 791,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the target was accurately bombed with severe damage to the rail yards. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
282 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes of I, 6 and 8 Groups attacked railway yards at Orleans and Villeneuve. Both targets were accurately bombed. 14 Lancasters were lost, 11 from the Villeneuve raid and 3 from Orleans.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
419 Moose Squadron (Moosa Aswayita) RAF Middleton St George. The crew of Lancaster aircraft KB 723 VR-U had just bombed the rail yards at Villeneuve St Georges, France when the aircraft was hit by heavy flak and set ablaze. The pilot ordered his crew to abandon the aircraft, but the intense heat from the fire had jammed the escape hatches, requiring the crew to chop a hole in the aircraft fuselage with an axe in order to get out
Pilot Officer AE Roe (RCAF), Flying Officer GR Hodgson (RCAF) and Sergeant JPA Gauthier (RCAF) were all killed in action
Flying Officer WJL Thomson (RCAF), Flying Officer CAD Steepe (RCAF), Flying Officer DG Murphy (RCAF) and Sergeant BA Reaume (RCAF) all bailed out and survived. Sergeant Reaume was taken as Prisoner of War, but Flying Officer Thompson, Flying Officer Steepe and Flying Officer Murphy all escaped as Evaders
There were three 419 Squadron Lancaster aircraft lost on this operation. Please see Watson, WC for information on Lancaster KB 718 VR-J and Gibson, WR for information on Lancaster KB 727 VR-H
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