F/O E W Armour RCAF and crew – 103 Squadron – RAF Elsham Wolds – 1945
Failed to Return – 16/17th March 1945 – Avro Lancaster I – ME848 – Op Nuremberg
F/O Armour and his crew were posted to 103 Squadron at RAF Elsham Wolds from 1667 heavy Conversion Unit on the 4th January 1945. They were lost on their 16th operation. See below :-
01-Feb-45 - Ludwigshafen - Lancaster - NF909 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
02-Feb-45 - Wiesbaden - Lancaster - NF909 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
03-Feb-45 - Bottrop - Lancaster - NF909 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
07-Feb-45 - Kleve - Lancaster - NN758 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
08-Feb-45 - Politz - Lancaster - LM132 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
13-Feb-45 - Dresden - Lancaster - PD427 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
14-Feb-45 - Chemnitz - Lancaster - PD427 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
20-Feb-45 - Dortmund - Lancaster - LM132 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
21-Feb-45 - Duisburg - Lancaster - LM132 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
23-Feb-45 - Pforzheim - Lancaster - NG360 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
01-Mar-45 - Mannheim - Lancaster - LM132 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
11-Mar-45 - Essen - Lancaster - ME848 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
12-Mar-45 - Dortmund - Lancaster - ME848 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
13-Mar-45 - Herne - Lancaster - ME475 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
15-Mar-45 - Misburg - Lancaster - ME848 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
16-Mar-45 - Nuremberg – Lancaster - ME848 – F/O EW Armour RCAF - FTR - Flak victim. Crashed near Schwabisch Hall, Germany
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F/O EW Armour RCAF – POW – Camp N/K – POW No N/K – Thought to have been injured.
F/S R Young RAFVR - POW – Camp N/K – POW No N/K.
F/O AR McKenzie RCAF - POW – Camp N/K – POW No N/K.
F/S JH McRoberts RCAF - POW – Camp N/K – POW No N/K.
Sgt William Henry Fox RAFVR – Wireless Operator - 19 - Son of Henry and Alice Emily Fox of Uckfield, Sussex - Durnbach War Cemetery, Germany
F/S JB McCormick RCAF - POW – Camp N/K – POW No N/K.
F/S JD Smith RCAF - POW – Camp N/K – POW No N/K.
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16-Mar-45 - Nuremberg
103 Squadron detailed 15 aircraft for this attack on Nuremburg. All took safely in good weather and on arrival in the target area it was found quite clear. Pathfinders were right on time and the markers were well placed and concentrated and all crews bombed on the Master Bombers instructions who was very clear and precise. Bombing was believed to have achieved good results as fires were observed. Bombing took place from between 16500 ft and 18000 ft. Defences consisted of a light flak barrage with some searchlight activity. Many fighters were seen and a large number of aircraft were seen to go down in the target area. F/L Stepharnoff, F/O Watt and F/O Armour are missing from this operation. The remaining aircraft landed safely at base in good weather.
For this attack on Nuremberg Bomber Command detailed a total of 231 Lancasters of No 1 Group and 46 Lancasters and 16 Mosquitos of No 8 Group. 24 Lancasters, all from No 1 Group, lost, 8.7 per cent of the Lancaster force and 10.4 per cent of the No 1 Group aircraft involved. Most of these losses were due to German night fighters, which found the bomber stream on its way to the target. A local report states that the southern and south-western districts were hit as well as the ruins of the Altstadt which was destroyed in a previous raid. A serious fire was established in the Steinbuhl district. The main railway station was also on fire and the city's gasworks were so badly damaged that they did not resume production before the end of the war. This was the last heavy Bomber Command raid on Nuremberg.
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Lancaster - ME848
This machine was lost on its 6th operation. For some unknown reason this machine did not fly from its first operation for 3 months till its second. It may have sustained damage on its first operation which is not recorded or perhaps this is a mistake in the ORB which is possible. There are plenty of those. See below :-
27-Nov-44 - Freiburg - Lancaster - ME848 – F/O PM Picot
05-Mar-45 - Chemnitz - Lancaster - ME848 – F/O WE Nightingale
11-Mar-45 - Essen - Lancaster - ME848 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
12-Mar-45 - Dortmund - Lancaster - ME848 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
15-Mar-45 - Misburg - Lancaster - ME848 – F/O EW Armour RCAF
16-Mar-45 - Nuremberg - Lancaster - ME848 – F/O EW Armour RCAF - FTR - Flak victim. Crashed near Schwabisch Hall, Germany.
Item compiled by David Fell
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