Halifax DK193 was photographed being loaded with bombs earlier in its life at 76 Squadron. Just after midnight on 31st August 1943 the aircraft was in the process of taking off for an operational flight to bomb Monchengladbach, as it picked up speed a tyre burst and the pilot partially lost control of the aircraft. It crashed off the just beyond the runway probably with the undercarriage collapsing, a fire broke out and this later caused the full bomb load to explode. The crew all escaped the fire before it took hold and were not injured.
Pilot - Acting F/Lt Reginald Arthur Montague Lemmon RAFVR (123242).
Flight Engineer - Sgt G Griffiths.
Navigator - P/O W F Pearson (Possibly William Frank Pearson RAF (135414)).
Bomb Aimer - P/O S W Holmes.
Wireless Operator - Sgt Ernest Butcher RAF (540013).
Air Gunner - Sgt John William Chapman RAF (635546).
Air Gunner - Sgt David Yuille RAF (612317).
On the night of 22nd / 23rd April 1944 Lemmon, Griffiths, Butcher, Chapman and Yuille were flying Ops to Dusseldorf with 76 Squadron in Halifax MZ530 when the aircraft was badly damaged by a night-fighter. Some of the crew were able to bale out but Chapman, Yuille and Lemmon were killed and are buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery.
Reginald Lemmon received a commission to the rank of P/O on probation on 20th June 1942 and rose to F/O on 20th December 1942. He was Mentioned in Despatches after his death on 1st January 1946.
Post-war Ernest Butcher was appointed to a commission in the RAF on 21st October 1954 to the rank of F/O. He was promoted to F/Lt on 21st October 1957 and retired on 12th January 1970.