228893 P/O W. Easby Norman Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 106 Squadron (d.28thJune 1944) My uncle's last flight was on 28th June 1944. He was piloting a Lancaster bomber P/O 174553 and the plane suffered a direct hit over France, returning from a bombing mission in Germany. They crash landed in a field near Seine-et-Marine and all seven crew were killed. They are buried in a cemetery at Bransles, a village nearby.
Update
Your uncle was captain of Lancaster JB664, ZN-M, which took-off from Metheringham for ops to attack railways at Vitry.
P/O N.W. Easby
Sgt E.P. Richomme
F/Sgt A. Robinson
F/Sgt J.A.G. Dixon
Sgt G.A. Collison
Sgt L.K. Webb
Sgt D. Hetherington
(Alan)
Update
Alan is indeed correct, your uncle was flying JB664, a Lancaster B III built by A V Roe at Chadderton in 1943. The crew (as Alan names them) are buried in a communal grave at Bransles. The raid was on Vitry-le-Francois aimed at the railway system, a strategy at that time to hamper the transport of German troops and armour to the invasion area. JB664 was one of two Lancasters lost on this raid. (Chris)
I have a photo taken in a wood or park of a wooden cross bearing a RAF roundel and the following inscription F/SgtT D Hetherington and five other members of RAF Bomber Command killed in action May 1944. This pertains to the last flight of Lancaster JB664 and may be a crash site memorial. (Ian Sellars)
A small group of us, in Raunds Northants, are researching the names on our War Memorial. Keith Webb, the M/U Gunner, came from Raunds and I have some memorabilia (including a photo and letters from the Mayor of Bransles describing the loss of the Lancaster and the burials) of him, I am currently transcibing Keith's personal diary for 1944 and there are some references to your uncle, including a visit to Norman's home in Feb 1944. (David Rogers)
Update
I am trying to find as much information as I can about a bombing raid on Vitry-le-francois on the night of 27/28th June 1944. The intended target was the marshalling yards, but somthing went wrong and the town was hit with many civilian casualties. I am researching this with a French friend, whose mother survived the raid and had always wondered what went wrong. Does anyone have information about this? (Jane Martin)
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