July 4/5, 1944

    38 Lancasters from 408, 419, and 428 squadrons were joined by 64 Halifaxes from 424, 427, 429, and 433 squadron on an attack of the Rail yards at Villeneuve St.Georges. The crews were over the target at between 9,000 and 13,000 feet, releasing 791,000 lbs of high explosives. According to reports, the target was accurately bombed with severe damage to the rail yards.

    F/O D. Snider from 408 squadron made 2 bombing runs due to a JU-88 on their tail on the first pass.
    F/O R. Clothier and crew flying Lancaster II DS-707 coded EQ-D was attacked by a unidentified single engine aircraft, there was no claim or damage.
    F/O D. Burnell was attacked twice by fighters, on the first attack there was severe damage to the rear of the Lancaster. Sgt W. Stevens RCAF, the rear gunner, was killed and Sgt R. Heppel RCAF, the mid upper gunner, was seriously injured. They were attacked again by a JU-88 but no damages occurred on the second pass. They were able to make it safely back to Dunsford.
    P/O T. Bailey and crew flying Lancaster II DS-830 coded EQ-W was attacked by a JU-88, there was no damage, but some strikes were seen on the JU-88.
    F/Lt G. Latimer was hit by a bird, the nose turret was damaged. They landed at Colerne on return due to a fuel shortage.
    F/O A. Quinlan, F/O J. Faulder, and P/O W. McIntyre landed at Moreton in the Marsh on return due to fuel shortages.

    F/Lt W. Cameron from 419 squadron was attacked by an ME-410. The stbd elevator was shot off and they had holes in both wings. 
    F/O G. Peck and crew flying Lancaster X KB-753 coded VR-B was attacked by an unidentified aircraft, there was no claim or damage.
    Sgt H. Witwer and crew flying Lancaster X KB-750 coded VR-N was attacked by an ME-210 and DO-217, there was no claim or damage.
    F/O B. Walker and crew flying Lancaster X KB-755 coded VR-F were attacked by a JU-88, there was no claim or damage.
    F/Lt H. Smith and crew flying Lancaster X KB-724 coded VR-K was attacked by a JU-88, there was no damage but this fighter was believed to have been shot down by a Halifax nearby.
    F/Sgt J. Phillis was attacked by a JU-88. They were raked from end to end by a slanted cannon attack from below. The stbd inner was u/s and caught fire. 5 minutes later they were attacked again with no damages. They landed safely at base on 3 engines at which time the rear and port tire blew out. There were no injuries.
    F/O L. Frame RCAF–Evd and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-718 coded VR-J, failed to return from this operation.

      Sgt P. Barclay RAF–Evd
      F/O W. Watson RCAF–Evd
      F/O W. Reynolds RCAF–POW
      Sgt D. High RCAF–POW
      F/Sgt J. Morris RCAF–Evd
      F/Sgt H. Hayes RCAF–POW
    4 crew evaded and 3 POWs after being shot down by a Nightfighter.

    F/O J. Stevenson RCAF–Evd and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-727 coded VR-H, failed to return from this operation.

      Sgt F. Vinecombe RAF– POW
      F/O J. Prudham RCAF– POW
      F/O J. Smith – POW
      W/O1 L. Head – POW
      Sgt J. Pett RCAF – POW
      Sgt W. Gibson RCAF – POW
    6 crew were POWs and one evaded after being shot down by a JU-88.

    F/O C. Steepe RCAF–Evd and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-723 coded VR-U, failed to return from this operation.

      Sgt J. Gauthier RCAF
      F/O D. Murphy RCAF–Evd
      F/O W. Thomson RCAF–Evd
      F/O G. Hodgson RCAF
      Sgt B. Reaume RCAF–POW
      P/O A. Roe RCAF
    3 crew were killed, 3 evaded and one POW after being hit by flak.

    P/O H. Kirkby from 424 squadron was attacked by an FW-190 and an ME-109. The ME-109 was claimed damaged and the FW-190 was claimed destroyed.
    F/O W. Palidwar and crew flying Halifax III LV-947 coded QB-S was fired upon by a corkscrewing Halifax, there was no damage.
    F/O J. Keys and crew flying Halifax III LV-977 coded QB-E was attacked by a unidentified single engine aircraft. It was attacking a Fortress at the time. There was no claim or damage.
    F/O D. Brown and crew flying Halifax III LV-991 coded QB-U was attacked by a ME-210 just after it shot down a nearby Lancaster, there was no claim or damage. 
    F/O L. Sykes RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III LV-970 coded QB-T, failed to return from this operation.

      Sgt C. Wilson RAF
      F/O L. O’Brien RCAF
      F/O P. Van Alstyne RCAF
      P/O J. Buckham RCAF
      P/O A. Sinclair RCAF
      P/O D. More RCAF
    All were killed.

    F/Lt H. Woodruff and crew from 427 Squadron flying Halifax III MZ-756 coded ZL-E were attacked by a JU-88, there was no damage, but some strikes were seen on the JU-88. 
    F/O R. Penrose and crew flying Halifax III LW-130 coded ZL-L was attacked by an ME-210 and a JU-88, the ME-210 was claimed as damaged as many strikes were seen. Their were also hit by the JU-88, they had holes in the nose and port side of the fuselage.
    P/O A. Sovran and crew flying Halifax III LV-985 coded ZL-K was attacked twice by JU-88's, some strikes were seen on one JU-88. 
    F/O C. Moss RCAF and crew flying Halifax III LW-166 coded ZL-S failed to return from this operation. 

      Sgt W. Steel RAF
      F/O J. Bester RCAF–Evd
      F/O J. Siddall RCAF–Evd
      F/Sgt H. Atkin RCAF–POW
      Sgt G. Brown RCAF–POW
      Sgt J. Finnie RCAF–POW   
    2 crew were killed, 2 evaded and 3 were POWs.

    P/O K. Carter from 428 squadron returned without bombing on the master bombers orders.
    P/O W. Gay RCAF and crew, flying Lancaster X KB-756 coded NA-Q, failed to return from this operation.

      Sgt P. Smith RAF–POW
      F/O W. Cullen RCAF–Evd
      P/O R. Woychuk RCAF–POW
      F/Sgt W. Yates RAF–Evd
      P/O A. Pritchard RCAF–Evd
      P/O S. Swartz RCAF
    2 crew were killed, 4 evaded capture and one was a POW.

    W/Cdr A. Avant and crew from 429 Squadron flying Halifax III MZ-672 coded AL-B was attacked by a twin engined enemy aircraft, there was no claim or damage.
    P/O L. Mitchell and crew flying Halifax III MZ-285 coded AL-U was attacked by an FW-190, there was no claim or damage.
    F/O M. Sloski and crew flying Halifax III MZ-288 coded AL-O was attacked by an ME-410, strikes were seen and it was claimed damaged.
    F/O D. McNaughton and crew flying Halifax III LW-122 coded AL-F was attacked three times by JU-88's, one was shot down in flames.

    F/O A. Stein from 433 squadron landed at Rufforth on return.
    F/O J. Nixon and crew flying Halifax III HX-268 coded BM-A were attacked by an unidentified single engine aircraft and a JU-88, there was no claim but their starboard wing was damaged.
    P/O G. Wolstencroft RCAF–POW and crew, flying Halifax III HX-353 coded BM-X, failed to return from this operation.

      Sgt S. Chambers RAF–POW
      F/Sgt H. Perganter RCAF–Evd
      P/O H. Brewer RCAF
      Sgt A. Hutchinson RCAF–Evd
      Sgt D. MacLean RCAF–Evd
    4 crew members evaded, 2 were POWs and one was killed.

    F/Lt B. Yunker RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III LW-120 coded BM-E, failed to return from this operation.

      Sgt G. Watmough RAF–POW
      F/O M. Wiome RCAF–Evd
      F/O S. Hetherington RCAF–POW
      P/O P. Scullion RCAF–POW
      F/Sgt L. Grenon RCAF–POW
      P/O W. Gracie RCAF
    1 crew member evaded, 4 POWs and 2 were killed after they were shot down by a Nightfighter.

    F/O W. Baird RCAF and crew, flying Halifax III LW-123 coded BM-W, failed to return from this operation.

      Sgt J. Marler RAF
      F/O J. Harvie RCAF–POW *
      P/O D. Wilson RCAF
      P/O R. Longley RCAF
      P/O T. Jenkins RCAF
      P/O W. Winder RCAF
    6 crew were killed and 1 POW after being shot down by a Nightfighter.
     

    * F/O Harvie has written a book about his story, called “Missing in Action, An RCAF Navigator's Story”, ISBN-0-7735-1350-7. It is well worth reading.