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8/9 April, 1945; LUTZKENDORF:
1 Group Lancasters had attacked the Lutzkendorf refinery the
previous night achieving moderate success. Just after 18.00hrs
on Sunday evening, 231 Lancasters and 11 Mosquitoes from Lincolnshire's
5 Group, set out to finish the job. The raid itself was a total
success with the refinery being rendered inactive.
The cost had been 6 Lancasters and their crews. A second aircraft
from the squadron failed to return: F/O 'Polly' Perkins (RA531)
and crew were brought down over Germany; there were no survivors.
The crew now rest together in the Berlin War Cemetery; Sgt Bernard
Manning the mid-upper gunner was only 19 years old and the rear
gunner, F/Sgt Dennis Hull was just 18. Again perhaps 'fate' had
been at work, for their skipper, F/O Robert Perkins, the son
of a Lincolnshire farmer, had only recently confided to a fellow
pilot, that he 'knew' he was not going to survive the war.
Lancaster RA531 (EA-S)
F/O R.G. Perkins Pilot (Killed)
Sgt H. Prust F/E (Killed)
F/S P.J. Warrington NAV
(Killed)
F/S G.R.
Wall W/AG (Killed)
Sgt B.C.
Manning A/G (Killed)
F/S
J.E. Wilkinson A/B (Killed)
F/S D.R.
Hull A/G (Killed)
Crew on their 9th operation
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