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7 June 1944 Lancaster Mk III - LM533 KO-T |
Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.
1,065 aircraft - 589 Lancasters, 418 Halifaxes, 58 Mosquitos -
to bomb railway and road centres on the lines of communication behind the Normandy battle area.
All of the targets were in or near French towns. 3,488 tons of bombs were dropped on targets at
Achères, Argentan, Caen, Châteaudun, Conde sur Noireau, Coutances, St Lô, Lisieux and Vire.
Every effort was made to bomb accurately but casualties to the French civilians were inevitable.
Cloud affected the accuracy of the bombing at many of the targets and, at Achères,
the Master Bomber ordered the raid to be abandoned because of cloud and no bombs were dropped.
6 Lancasters were lost in the No 5 Group raid at Caen, where the main force of bombers had to wait
for the target to be properly marked and then fly over an area full of German units and guns at bombing heights below 3,000ft.
Some details are available of the effects of the bombing.
At Argentan, Châteaudun and Lisieux, much damage was done to railways, although the towns,
Lisieux in particular, were hit by many bombs.
Important bridges at Coutances were badly damaged and the town centres of Caen, Conde sur Noireau,
St-Lô and Vire were all badly bombed and most of the roads through those towns were blocked.
10 Lancasters and 1 Halifax were lost in these raids.
Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary June 1944.
ORB. 7th June, 1944.
24 aircraft (8 from "A" Flt., 8 from "B" Flt., & 8 from "C" Flt.)
were detailed to attack LISIEUX, but 1 was cancelled.
The remainder took off between 00.01 & 00.28 hours.
1 aircraft T.LM.533 (Captain F/O. J. M. WESLEY) failed to return from operations -
no news being received.
22 aircraft successfully identified the target by means of red indicator markers & visually
and bombed chiefly the red markers from heights ranging between 1,500 feet & 5,500 feet.
2 aircraft bombed the yellow markers as instructed by the Master Bomber.
Concentrated bomb bursts were seen in area marked by flares,
and a large orange explosion was observed at 01.29 hours.
a very successful raid. Photographs were attempted.
03.50. 22 aircraft had returned safely to base after operations.
Wesley John Marcus - Pilot
F/O - Service No 152067
Age: 21
RAFVR
Son of John and Anne Wesley, of Ecclesall, Sheffield.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 209
Source: CWGC.
Lee Bernard Jack - FE
Sgt - Service No 1895651
Age:
RAFVR
Son
Runnymede Memorial - panel 233
Source: CWGC.
Dodson Ronald Eric - Nav
Sgt - Service No 1332730
Age: 22
RAFVR
Son of Ernest Baden Dodson and Florence Ann Dodson.
Husband of Phyllis Joan Dodson, of St. Ives, Huntingdonshire.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 228
Source: CWGC.
Campbell Colin Ian Duncan - WOP
Sgt - Service No 1560116
Age:
RAFVR
Son of
Runnymede Memorial - panel 226
Source: CWGC.
Edmonds Patrick John - BA
F/O - Service No 133096
Age: 31
RAFVR
Son of John and Mabel Marion Edmonds.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 205
Source: CWGC - photo and info Radley College
Franklin Frederick John - MUG
Sgt - Service No 1895945
Age: 37
RAFVR
Son of Frederick and Maud Franklin.
Husband of May Rose Madeline Franklin, of Peckham, London.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 229
Source: CWGC.
Langan Thomas - RG
Sgt - Service No 1303972
Age: 29*
RAFVR
Son of Thomas and Euphemia Clark Langan, of Galston, Ayrshire.
Husband of, two daughters.
Runnymede Memorial - panel 233
One brother, Langan William, RAFVR, age 23, died on 13/04/1945,
burried at MAINAMATI WAR CEMETERY, Comilla, Bangladesh.
Source: CWGC - Photo via Find a grave, by *Julie Drummond