Squadron: 460 (B) Sqn (RAAF)
Start Date: 1944-07-04
Completion Date: 1944-07-05
Mission: Bombing
Operation: unspecified
Target City: Orleans France
Target Specific: railway yards
Base: RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire, United Kingdom
Take Off Time: 2208
Squadron Code: 6O T
Radio Code:
Return Base:
Return Time:
Crash City: Adinkerke, De Panne, West Flanders, Belgium
Crash Specifics: near Donnemain-St-Mames in the Department of Eure-et-Loir 5 km NE from the town of Ch_teaudun
Crash Latitude: 0.00000000
Crash Longitude: 0.00000000
Crash Reason: fighter
Flak Battery:
Enemy Claim: shot down by Oberleutnant Werner Hopf of the 8./NJG 5 was scrambled from Laon-Athies (France) between 01:00-10 hrs in Bf 110 G-4 C9+BS
War Diary Unavailable
460 Australia Squadron (Strike And Return). Lancaster aircraft NE 174 was missing during night operations over Orleans, France. Aircraft had been delivered to 460 Squadron in May 1944, and when lost, had only 30 operational hours. Casualties included RCAF Pilot Officer L. McLean (air gunner); RAAF Pilot Officer J.A. Solomon (pilot), Flt. Sgt. C.K. Mollett (bomb aimer), W/O I.H. Clark (wireless operator / air gunner); RAFVR Flt. Sgt. D.V. Joy (navigator), Sgt. G.C.R. Micklefield (flight engineer), and Sgt. F.D. Wills (air gunner).
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)
460 Australia Squadron (Strike And Return). Lancaster aircraft NE 174 was missing during night operations over Orleans, France. Aircraft had been delivered to 460 Squadron in May 1944, and when lost, had only 30 operational hours. Casualties included RCAF Pilot Officer L. McLean (air gunner); RAAF Pilot Officer J.A. Solomon (pilot), Flt. Sgt. C.K. Mollett (bomb aimer), W/O I.H. Clark (wireless operator / air gunner); RAFVR Flt. Sgt. D.V. Joy (navigator), Sgt. G.C.R. Micklefield (flight engineer), and Sgt. F.D. Wills (air gunner).
