Lancaster DS740 damaged by flak, returned to East Moor airfield.
On the night of 29/30th December 1943 the crew of this Lancaster were tasked with Ops to Berlin, the aircraft
suffered Flak damage but the pilot was able to make a safe return to East Moor in the early hours of the 30th December.
The aircraft was on it's fourth operational flight with 432 Squadron on this date and was later repaired.
Lancaster DS740 was built to contract AC.239 by Armstrong Whitworth Ltd at Baginton and was delivered to MU storage in May 193.
It was later issued to 426 Squadron at Linton on Ouse when the unit converted to Lancaster B.II's from Wellingtons. It transferred
to 430 Squadron at Hartford Bridge in November 1943 but this is clearly an error on the part of the scribe, 430 Squadron were an Army Co-operation
squadron operating Tomahawks and would have little use for a Lancaster!! It almost certainly was transferred correctly to 432 Squadron
at East Moor in November 1943. Following the incident detailed above Cat.A(c)/FB was declared and it was repaired on site with
repair completed by 14th January 1944. The aircraft was lost as Cat.E(m) on 14th January 1944 on Ops to Braunschweig,
crashing at Lagershausen, near Northeim. The seven crew were sadly lost and were the same as those named below.
Pilot - P/O Donald A Rae RCAF (J/17895). Of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
FEng - Sgt Kenneth E Evans RAFVR (1605227). Of Romford, Essex.
Nav - F/O Geoffrey V Holmes RAFVR (129368). Of Sale, Cheshire.
AB - P/O David T Lyng RCAF (J/19590). Of Union Mills, N.B. Canada, but late of Montreal.
WOp/AG F/Sgt Edward F Howe RAFVR (1380267). Of Gidea Park, Romford, Essex.
AG - Sgt Charles F Tarr RAFVR (1068226).
AG - WO2 Williard H Hoppus RCAF (R/105586). Of Lacombe, Alberta, Canada.
P/O Rae and his crew were lost on 14th January 1944 when Lancaster DS740 crashed as above. All were buried at Lagershausen
but now rest in Hannover War Cemetery. This last Op was P/O Rae's 6th with 432 Squadron on Lancasters and the aircrafts fourth.
The incident detailed at the top of the page was Rae's third since returning to 432 Squadron after converting
to Lancasters.
P/O Rae had crash landed a 432 Squadron Wellington on 19th July 1943 at Ouston, to the north east of
Easingwold and also detailed on this website. He and his crew completed their 1679 HCFlt training course
on 17th October 1943 and returned to 432 Squadron ready to fly Lancasters having left 432
Squadron at East Moor on 20th September 1943.