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| Name | HUGHES |
| First names | Donald John |
| Rank | F/Sgt |
| Service | RAF |
| Service number | 1873494 |
| Crew position | Wireless operator/Air Gunner |
| Age | 20 |
| Date of death | 18/03/45 (POW 17/03/45 Shot in back by SS on the18/03/45 and was initially buried Sommerhausen Cemetery) |
| Cemetery | Durnbach War Cemetery Germany |
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| 6/17 March, 1945; WÜRZBURG:
The squadron prepared to send 17 aircraft on the 5 Group attack to the virgin target of Würzburg. The first aircraft took off at 17.53hrs. The operation proved to be a devastating attack for Würzburg, by 225 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes of 5 Group. Post-war reports suggest that almost 90 per cent of the built-up area was destroyed. 6 Lancasters failed to return, of which 2 belonged to 49 Squadron. F/O John Gibson (NG352) and crew were shot down in the target area; two members of the crew were killed, including F/O Edwards, the navigator, and mid/upper gunner Sgt Austin Finnerty, who died as a result of the fire inside the Lancaster. F/Sgt Don Hughes, managed to escape from the burning aircraft successfully by parachute, landing by the banks of the River Main. In the morning he was found by two clergymen hiding in the church sacristy of Elbelstadt. He was handed over to a doctor who in turn took him to the Town Hall where he was interrogated. At 07.30 on Sunday 18th March, after two days in the Police cells, Don was removed from the cells by SS Kriminal-Sekretar Joseph Axt of the Würzburg Criminal Police and Obersekretar Johann Weber. He was then marched to the river, where Axt shot him in the back before throwing his body in the river; his body was recovered from the river next morning. 'Axt and Weber were charged before a military court at Iserlohn on June 11th, 1946, and both were convicted. Axt was sentenced to death by shooting, and Weber to 20 years imprisonment.' Lancaster NG352 (EA-J) F/O J.B. Gibson Pilot (P.o.W.) Sgt G.P. Roberts F/E (P.o.W.) F/O D. Edwards NAV (P.o.W.) F/S D.J. Hughes W/OP (Murdered) Sgt A. Finnerty A/G (Killed) Sgt R.M. Henderson RCAF B/A (P.o.W.) Sgt J. Evans A/G (P.O.W.) Crew on their 13th operation |
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