Lancaster HK680 XY-H 186 Squadron FTR 6/12/44

[Steve Smith]

Hi,

Trying to establish cause and crash location of the above Lancaster of 186 Squadron which FTR from a night raid on the Leuna synthetic oil plant at Merseburg December 6/7th 1944.

TIA

Steve

[RSwank]

Lancaster HK680
From the 186 squadron records (Operations Record Book, form 541) I found the following. Some names are hard to read so this is a best guess.
---------------From Squadron Records----------------------
Date: 6-7/12/44 Time up for plane: 16.45 FTR
The Crew:
Pilot: F/O Powers, R.C., RAAF A.420264
NAV: Sgt. Best R.B.
A/B: W/O Latondresse, N., RCAF R.165226
WO/AIR: W/O Evans, R. M., RAAF A.418503
M/G: F/S Hemsley W.A.C.
R/G: F/S Skelton J. DFM
F/E: Sgt Short H.

Bomb Load 9 X 1000 AN-M59
Target MERSEBERG
10/10 Cloud. Bombed from 20,000 feet.
On homeward journey LE MANS area 23.20 hours 14,000 feet
Severe electric storms were encountered, all controls iced
Up and aircraft became unmanageable – failed to return to base.
Pilot gave order to Bale Out.
Crew safe with the exception of Rear Gunner. (Skelton)
(No further details available).
-----------------------------------End Squadron Records---

John Skelton 1697217 died December 6, 1944 and is buried in the Brussels Town Cemetery, Belgium
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/fi.../john-skelton/

On fold3 are the records for the pilot, Robert Charles Powers. (32 pages in all)
https://www.fold3.com/search?keyword...0500:Australia

On page 6 of his records (for those with fold3 access: https://www.fold3.com/image/502983268) is a very brief medical record. It shows that on 7 December 1944 he was admitted to the 8th Army Gen Hospital in Brussels. From 10 December 1944 to 18 December 1944 he was in the Wroughton Hospital
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Wroughton

It is curious that the records state the plane iced up over Le Mans (France?). That is a long way from Brussels where Skelton is buried, and Powers was hospitalized. Is there a “Le Mans” Belgium, or did they mean to say “Mons” or something similar? Le Mans is mentioned in two places, both in the overall summary of the mission and in the individual comments for the plane. Several other returning plane reports mention storms and icing conditions and things like the airspeed indicator was out, so maybe?? they thought they were over Le Mans because their navigation was very off?


Crew names have been discussed before, such as here:
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/sho...-R-Mevans-RAAF

I believe that Evans was correctly identified as Robert Morrison Evans.

[Leendert]

There is personal info about Sgt John Skelton here: https://timenote.info/en/John-Skelton-00.00.1923

It includes a newspaper clipping that his body was found "in a field by a French peasant" and is buried in Brussels.
I tend to go along with Rolland's assumption that southern Belgium (where Mons is) or border area FR/BE is likely, where they all speak French after all.

Regards,
Leendert

[RSwank]

Leendert,
Thanks for the info on Skelton. From the description of him being found in a field with no mention of wreckage suggests to me the possibility of a parachute failure.

Assuming they were flying to the west and the plane was set on autopilot during the bail out, I suppose it is possible the plane made it out to sea before crashing. (Although if the plane was not controllable by the pilot it probably could not be controlled by the autopilot either.)

Rolland

[Leendert]

Interesting thought. Not the first time that an aircraft crashed far away from where the crew had baled out.
Unfortunately no info available what general area the other crew members of HK680 had parachuted down and were picked up by Allied troops. 'Liberated Belgium' is the most likely option so far....

Regards,
Leendert

[Steve Smith]

Gents,

Thank you all for your posts. I am currently writing the Operational History of 186 Squadron 1944-1945. This loss as always been of interest to me. Leendert mentions two factors that I have always been curious about. The body of Skelton found by a French peasant, but buried in Brussels. And the aircraft experiencing icing over Le Mans ? I think a trip to the NA is required.

Thank you again.

Steve