6 Group Unavailable
496 Lancasters and 2 Halifaxes on the first major raid to Brunswick of the war. 38 Lancasters Jost, 7·6 per cent of the force. The German running commentary was heard following the progress of the bomber force from a position only 40 miles from the English coast and many German fighters entered the bomber stream soon after the German frontier was crossed near Bremen. The German fighters scored steadily until the Dutch coast was crossed on the return flight. Ir of the lost aircraft were Pathfinders.
Brunswick was smaller than Bomber Command's usual targets and this raid was not a success. The city report describes this only as a 'light' raid, with bombs in the south of the city which had only ro houses destroyed and 14 people killed. Most of the attack fell either in the countryside or in Wolfenbiittel and other small towns and villages well to the south of Brunswick.
source: The Bomber Command War Diaries, Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt
Lancaster BII aircraft DS 740 QO-Z missing while engaged in an operation against targets in Brunswick, Germany. It is believed that the Lancaster was shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Lagershausen, NE of Northeim, Germany with the loss of the entire crew
Pilot Officer DT Lyng (RCAF), Pilot Officer DA Rae (RCAF),Warrant Officer WH Hoppus (RCAF), Sergeant KE Evans (RAFVR), Sergeant CF Tarr (RAFVR), FS EF Howe (RAFVR), and Flying Officer BV Holmes (RAFVR) were all killed in action
There were two 432 Lancaster II aircraft lost on this operation. Please see Rainville, GH for information on Lancaster DS 850 QO-M
War Cemetery - Hanover-Ahlem, Lower Saxony, Germany