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24/25 April 1944 Lancaster Mk II - DS734 KO-Y |
Shot down by night fighter Oberleutnant Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer of the IV./NJG 1.
Crashed Sint-Katelijne-Waver, Belgium.
Karlsruhe: 637 aircraft - 369 Lancasters, 259 Halifaxes, 9 Mosquitos - of all groups except No 5 Group.
Cloud over the target and a strong wind which pushed the Pathfinders too far north spoiled this attack.
Only the northern part of Karlsruhe was seriously damaged and most of the bombs fell outside the city.
Mannheim, 30 miles to the north, recorded a raid by approximately 100 aircraft on this night and Darmstadt,
Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg were also hit by aircraft which failed to find the main target.
19 aircraft - 11 Lancasters, 8 Halifaxes - lost, 3.0 per cent of the force.
Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary April 1944.
ORB. 24th APRIL 1944.
21 aircraft were detailed to attack KARLSRUHE and took off between 21.48 hours to 22.19 hours.
Target was identified by red and green target indicators and visually by river.
Bombs and incendiaries were dropped from heights varying between 15,000 feet and 22,000 feet.
Path Finder Force considered very accurate. Whole area covered with incendiaries.
Good fires seen blazing all round target indicators.
Gas works clearly seen in light of flares. Attack considered very successful.
1 aircraft (C.ND.761 - Captain P/O. D. CAMERON) returned early with generators overcharging.
Aircraft J.HK.542 (Captain F/S. Bennett, P.) Lancaster Mk I HK542 KO-J, 7 KIA,
and aircraft Y.DS.734 (Captain F/S. Cagienard, R.) reported missing from operations.
No news since take-off.
Aircraft C.N.D.800 (Captain F/Lt. W. G. Shadforth) sustained damage as result of Flak and enemy night fighter.
Three of the crew were injured, but the aircraft was successfully brought back and landed at MANSTON.
(Wireless Operator - *Sgt. WEIR, R., DFM - page 2, rear gunner Sgt. BRADLEY, W.
and mid-upper Sgt. SHARPE, T. gunners wounded.
Lights were shot on results of combat but extinguished by engineer *Sgt. VEALE, A., DFM, with axe.)
F/lt. Shadforth, W. G., later S/L. DFC, *crashed with Lancaster Mk I - HK545 KO-E at 12/13 June 1944, there were no survivors.
04.33. 17 aircraft had returned to Base.
1 aircraft landed at MANSTON at 03.40 hours,
and 1 aircraft (G.ME.692 - Captain P/O. S. W. HOLDER) at WITTERING at 05.00 hours.


P/O - Service No 174879
Age: 24 - °19 Oktober 1920
RAFVR
Son of Alexander and Edith Ida Cagienard, of Ilford, Essex.
Schoonselhof Cemetery Antwerp - grave 4a.D.20
Source: CWGC - Photo via Family Cagienard Photo's and letters Family Cagienard - Find a Grave.


Sgt - Service No 2204866
Age: 20 - °1923/1924
RAFVR
Son of Charles and Margaret Kelly, of Cregagh, Belfast, Northern Ireland.
One brother Tom +Canada.
Schoonselhof Cemetery Antwerp - grave 4a.D.37
Source: CWGC - Photo via Family McCluskey. Photo's and letters - Find a Grave.


F/S - Service No 1321968
Age: 20 - °10 June 1923
RAFVR
Son of Albert Ernest and Annie Dorothy Foster, of Thornton Heath, Surrey.
Schoonselhof Cemetery Antwerp - grave 4a.D.36
Source: CWGC - Photo via Family Foster - Find a Grave.


Sgt - Service No 1508293
Age: 26 - °25 October 1917
RAFVR
Son of
Husband of Edith Enderby, Bradford district x1q 1940
One daugther Jean °4q 1940, Bradford, Yorkshire
One son David, °2q 1942, Bradford, Yorkshire
Schoonselhof Cemetery Antwerp - grave 4a.D.20
Source: CWGC - Photo's and letters Family Shorten and Wim Govaerts - Find a Grave.


P/O- Service No J92030
Age: 23 - °21 July 1921
RCAF
Son of John George and Emma Justine MacLeod, of Capreol, Ontario, Canada.
Schoonselhof Cemetery Antwerp - grave 4a.D.8
Source: CWGC - Photo's and info via Audrey MacLeod and Gary Biesinger - Find a Grave.


Sgt - Service No 1892896
Age: 19 - °22 December 1924
RAFVR
Son of Frederick and Edith King
Schoonselhof Cemetery Antwerp - grave 4a.D.20
Source: CWGC - Photo's and letter via Ronald King - Find a Grave.


P/O - Service No J92031
Age: 21 (His actual age was 18, °03 July 1925. To join the RCAF he changed his birth date to 03 July 1922).
RCAF
Son of George Letcher and Jessie Burrows
Schoonselhof Cemetery Antwerp - grave 4a.D.21 -
Source: CWGC - Photo via Family Letcher - Find a Grave.