115 Squadron

8 June 1944

Lancaster Mk III - ND790 KO-H

T/O Witchford 0034 - target Chevreuse, France.
Shot down by a night fighter and crashed at Houdan, 18 Km of Rambouillet.

The target was a major road bridge in Paris between Massy and Palaiseau.
Its destruction would seriously hamper the movement of reinforcements to the invasion Front.
To avoid loss of French cicilian life orders were to wait for the Master Bomber to verify that
the markers were correct before bombing took place.
There was thick ground haze and the Master Bomber went u/s.
The deputy took some time to get it all together and in the meantime the force of 337 bombers
sent to various targets around Paris waited.
It was a clear night and the night fighters descended.

Source: 115 Squadron Roll of Honour by D. Bruce, W. R. Chorley, J. G. J. de Haan.

337 aircraft - 195 Halifaxes, 122 Lancasters, 20 Mosquitos.

Attacks railway targets at Achères, Juvisy, Massey Palaiseau and Versailles.
Bombing conditions were better than on the previous night.
All targets were accurately bombed and, although no details are available,
it is probable that fewer civilians were killed.
The targets were mostly more distant from the battle front than those recently
attacked and German night fighters had more time to intercept the bomber forces.

17 Lancasters and 11 Halifaxes were lost, 8.3 per cent of the forces involved.

Source: nationalarchives.gov.uk - Bomber Command - Campaign Diary June 1944.

ORB 8th June 1944.
18 aircraft (5 from "A" Flt., 7 from "B" Flt;, & 6 from "C" Flt.)
were detailed to attack CHEVREUSE and all took off between 00.20 hours and 00.40 hours.
6 aircraft -
H.ND.790 (Captain P/O. S. FRANCIS),
J.HK.552 (Captain P/O. J. TODD), Lancaster Mk I - HK552 KO-J, 6 KIA, 1 POW
W.HK.548 (Captain P/O. E. A. LAW), Lancaster Mk I - HK548, KO-W, 2 KIA, 5 EVA
C.ND.761 (Captain F/L. P. W. NORBURY) Lancaster Mk III - ND761 A4-C,
H.LL.864 (Captain P/O. MAUDE) Lancaster Mk I - LL864, A4-H2, 7 KIA &
K.ND.760 (Captain P/O. C. H. QUINTON) Lancaster Mk III - ND760 A4-K,
failed to return from Operations and no news was received from them.
The remainder identified the target by means of red & green indicator markers on which they
dropped their bombs from heights ranging between 4,000 feet & 6,500 feet.
All the bombs bursts appeared to be concentrated around markers.
Many combats were seen. Photographs attempted