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26/27 November, 1944;
MUNICH: It was quite late on Sunday night 26 November, when 10
aircraft from 49 Squadron were marshalled along the peri-track
with those of 189 Squadron in preparation for take-off.
'Uncle Will' (PB504) and crew were one of the last away at 23.46hrs.
'Uncle' recalls: "It was bad weather with the cloud base
between three and four hundred feet. We took off in the dark
with a full load of fuel, incendiaries and a four thousand pounder.
I had only just entered cloud when I saw the aircraft which had
taken off ahead of us crash, then burst into flames. We learned
afterwards that the aircraft taking off behind us (PB745/189
Squadron) also crashed - two aircraft gone before we had even
left the vicinity of the airfield!" The 49 Squadron Lancaster
that crashed was O-Oboe, piloted by F/O Le Marquand (PB432).
The aircraft came down close to the village of Dry Doddington,
not far from the Great North Road. O-Oboe had only been in the
air a few minutes before, laden with bombs and fuel, she sank
back to earth again. Five fortunate members of the crew survived
the crash landing, but sadly Norman Langley the W/Ag and Edward
Blake the mid-upper gunner were both killed.
Lancaster PB432 (EA-O)
F/O G.H. Le
Marquand Pilot (Slightly injured)
Sgt
W.S. Wade F/E (Seriously injured)
F/S
R.E. Ransom NAV (Slightly Injured)
Sgt
N.I. Langley W/OP (Killed)
Sgt
E.G. Blake A/G (Killed)
Sgt
J.R. Bowers B/A (Slightly injured)
Sgt
T. Price A/G (Seriously injured)
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