6 Bomber Group September 15/16, 1943
63 Halifaxes from 419, 427, 428, 429 and 434 squadrons were ordered to attack the Dunlop rubber factory at Montlucon. The crews were over the target at between 6,000 and 10,000 feet, releasing 116,000 lbs of high explosives and 228,000 lbs of incendiaries. According to reports, bombing was accurate and severe damage was caused to the complex. Richard Koval (6bombergroup.ca)
Lancaster aircraft EE 144 (AJ-S) was flying over Germany en route to the Dortmund-Ems Canal at Ladbergen, Germany , at a height 300 feet when it was hit by light flak and and crashed at Nordhorn, Germany . The 12,000 pound bomb the aircraft was carrying blew up: all of the crew were killed.
Two Canadians were in the crew, Flight Lieutenant TH Taerum DFC and Flying Officer GA Deering DFC. The remaining members of the crew (Squadron Leader G Holden DSO, DFC , Sergeant D Powell MiD, Flying Officer HJ Pringle DFC, Pilot Officer T Meikle DFM and Flight Lieutenant R Hutchison DFC & Bar) were in the RAF, with the exception of Flying Officer SF Spafford DFC, DFM, who was in the Royal Australian Air Force. Taerum, Deering, Hutchison and Spafford has been in Guy Gibson's crew when he led the Dams raid of 16/17 May 1943.
