6 Group Unavailable
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. Lancaster BX KB 727 VR-H, was intercepted during an operation to bomb the rail yards at Villeneuve St Georges, France but on approach to target the Lancaster was shot down. There are multiple claims for the loss of this aircraft and crew. Oblt Adolf Kaiser of 1/NJG2 claimed to have shot down KB 727 but there are also claims from flak units 4/lei Flak Abt 342 and 3 F F A S West 31. The actual cause of loss has not been proven beyond doubt. The Lancaster crashed near Chartainvillers, Eure-de-Loire, France with the entire crew surviving
Pilot Officer William Russell Gibson (RCAF), Flying Officer Joel Matthew "Tex" Stevenson C of G (France), MiD (RCAF)(USA), Flying Officer James Ewart Prudham (RCAF), Flying Officer James Allan Smith (RCAF), Pilot Officer Leslie Frank Head (RCAF), Pilot Officer James Thomas Pett (RCAF) and Sergeant Frederick Samuel Vinecombe (RAFVR) survived and evaded briefly, aided by the French Resistance, but were betrayed and arrested in Paris France in mid-July. Held in Fresnes Prison from 17 July - 15 August 1944 then deported and taken by train to Buchenwald Concentration Camp, part of a group of 168 Allied airmen sent there. Flying Officer Joel Matthew Stevenson escaped from the train taking the prisoners to Buchenwald and evaded further capture
The German Luftwaffe intervened on behalf of the Allied airmen held in Buchenwald Concentration Camp, some under a death sentence from the Gestapo and SS, transferring them to Luftwaffe controlled POW camps in late October 1944
There were three 419 Squadron Lancaster bombers lost on this operation. Please see aircraft serials KB 718 VR-J and KB 723 VR-U for further information on these aircraft and crews
Royal Air Force Serial and Image Database
04/05 07 1944 419 (Moose) Squadron RCAF Lancaster X KB727 Fg Off Joel...
Search for France-Crashes 39-45
419 Squadron RCAF 1941 to 1945 Crew of Lancaster KB727
Bomber Command Museum Monthly ORB