McHugh, John Francis (Sergeant)
Killed in Action 1944-July-13

Birth Date: unkown date
Born:
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Enlistment:
Enlistment Date: unkown date
Service
RAFVR
Unit
576 (B) Sqn- Squadron (RAF)
Carpe Diem Seize the opportunity
Base
RAF Elsham Wolds
Rank
Sergeant
Position
Navigator
Service Numbers
1800890
Crew or Other Personnel
Lancaster ND859
Mission
Lancaster Mk.III ND859
Bombing Revigny-Sur-Ornain France 1944-July-12 to 1944-July-13
576 (B) Sqn (RAF) RAF Elsham Wolds
576 Squadron RAF Elsham Wolds Lancaster III ND 859 UL-L2 was lost during an operation against rail facilities at Revigny-sur-Ornain, France in support of the D-Day landings. Circling in cloud cover trying to find the target area, ND 859 was involved in a mid-air collision with 44 Squadron RAF Lancaster LM 638 KM-P that was returning from it's operation against the railway junction at Culmont-Chalindrey, France
Lancaster ND 859 crashed at Giey-sur-Aujon, Haute-Marne and LM 638 crashed near Auberive, Haute-Marne France
Sergeant WHM Greig (RAFVR), Pilot Officer C Hart (RAFVR), Sergeant CL Jones (RAFVR), Sergeant E Mitchell (RAFVR) and Sergeant JF McHugh (RAFVR) were all killed in action
Pilot Officer CJ Glenny (RCAF) and Sergeant PH Keeler (RAFVR) survived, Evaded for a time but both were captured and taken as Prisoners of War
Sadly, local school teacher Max Duville had tried to help these airmen evade by giving the German authorities false information about their crash. His deception was discovered and he was shot
Lancaster serial: ND859

Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirling, all three aircraft being four-engined heavy bombers adopted by the Royal Air Force (RAF) during the same wartime era.
The Lancaster has its origins in the twin-engine Avro Manchester which had been developed during the late 1930s in response to the Air Ministry Specification P.13/36 for a capable medium bomber for "world-wide use". Originally developed as an evolution of the Manchester (which had proved troublesome in service and was retired in 1942), the Lancaster was designed by Roy Chadwick and powered by four Rolls-Royce Merlins and in one version, Bristol Hercules engines. It first saw service with RAF Bomber Command in 1942 and as the strategic bombing offensive over Europe gathered momentum, it was the main aircraft for the night-time bombing campaigns that followed. As increasing numbers of the type were produced, it became the principal heavy bomber used by the RAF, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and squadrons from other Commonwealth and European countries serving within the RAF, overshadowing the Halifax and Stirling. Wikipedia