Lancaster III, # EE135, PO-Y, Squadron 467, Pilot P/O Arthur Long RAAF

[Klaus Deschner]

Hello All,
do anibody know the crashplace of the: Lancaster III, # EE135, PO-Y, Squadron 467, Pilot P/O Arthur Long RAAF, target Mannheim, A/C shot down and crashed 23rd/24th Sept 1943?

Thanks for your help
regards Klaus

[Alain57]

Hello ,

Bomber Command Losses 1943 page 333 says " believed to have crashes near Altertheim ".

Regards
Alain57

[Klaus Deschner]

Hello Alain,
Alertheim are in the areo of Würzburg, i think this is to far from Mannheim.
i think the plane must crash in the Heidelberg/Mannheim area.
Thanks
regards Klaus

[Wayne400]

Hello Klaus,
On the National Archives of Australia site it lists the following;

LONG, Arthur - (Pilot Officer); Service Number - 413396; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Lancaster EE135; Place - Speyer, Germany; Date - 24 September 1943.

Is that any help?

Wayne.

[Klaus Deschner]

Hello Wayne,
it`a great help.
Thank you.
regards
Klaus

[David Layne]

Jörg Helbig informs me that the aircraft crashed next to Altlußheim around 5 km SE of Speyer. The crew were first buried at Altlußheim.

[David Layne]

Further information from Jörg Helbig.

Claims around the time of the loss of EE135

Flak: 23.20 Uhr 3./300, 1.-4./908 as Lancaster Ketsch-Speyer

Fighter 23.21 Uhr Oblt. Martin Becker I./NJG 6 as Lancaster Speyer (first claim ever)
and poss. going to the following Wild Boar Fighter as "Morale Booster" too:

23.20 Uhr Obfw. Kurt Grieneisen 5./JG 300 as Lancaster over Objekt/Mannheim and
23.20 Uhr Fw. Hans Kugler 6./JG 300 as Lancaster 5 km SE of Objekt/Mannheim.

Both JG 300 claims were full confirmed by the RLM.

Plane must have taken a direct hit and blew up.

[galgos]

David,
The Nachtjagd War Diaries gives Oblt Becker's claim as Lancaster DV174 of 460 squadron. Interestingly despite your statement that RLM/OKL confirmed the two JG300 claims, no details of the related BC losses are given, not even as Vernichtung nicht erweisen (destruction not proven), ie as "possibles".

Max

[Klaus Deschner]

Hello All,
thank you for the information.
regards
Klaus