ED702-History

Lancaster MkIII
EA-D ED702
D - Donald

History

Serial Range ED303 - EE202. This aircraft was one of 620 Lancasters ordered from A V Roe (Chadderton) in 1941 and built from November 1942 to June 1943 as 129 Mk.1s and 491 Mk.111s, mixed, up to ED782 and all Mk.111 from ED783 onwards. The Mk.1s were initially
fitted with Merlin 20 and the Mk.111s with Merlin 28 engines. ED702 was a Mk.111 and was delivered to 49 Squadron in March 1943.

The first operation for ED702 was to St Nazire flown by W/C Slee on the 22nd March 1943
22/23.3.43 Lancaster ED702 W/C Slee L.C, P/O Mabee S.H, F/O Mansbridge S.H, F/Sgt Astbury C.K, F/Sgt Bishop P, F/O Chandler E.B, T/o 19.18hrs landing at 01.00

"Bombed primary 22.33 hrs 5,000ft. Smoke screen in operation. Haze and smoke prevented positive identification. Coned 4 times and Mid upper gunner hit by shrapnel in eye. Bombs jettisoned over target on 5th run"

22/03/1943	W/C Slee L.C	St. Nazaire
27/03/1943	W/Cdr Slee L.C	Berlin
10/04/1943	W/C Johnson P.	Frankfurt
13/04/1943	W/Cdr Johnson R.	Spezia Navel Units
16/04/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.W	Plzen
20/04/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.W	Stettin
23/05/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.W	Dortmund
25/05/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.W	Dusseldorf
11/06/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.W	Dusseldorf
16/06/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.	Cologne
20/06/1943	G/Cpt L.C. Slee	Friedrichaven
21/06/1943	P/O Anderson C.	Krefeld
22/06/1943	F/Sgt Kirton B	Mulheim
28/06/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.	Cologne
08/07/1943	P/O Anderson C.	Cologne
12/07/1943	P/O Anderson C.	Turin
24/07/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.	Hamburg
25/07/1943	P/O Anderson C.	Essen
27/07/1943	P/O Anderson C.	Hamburg
29/07/1943	F/Sgt Watson	Hamburg
31/07/1943	F/Sgt Kirton B	Remscheid
02/08/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.	Hamburg
09/08/1943	P/O Moss J.H	Mannheim
10/08/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.W	Nurnberg
17/08/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.W	Peenemunde
26/08/1943	F/Sgt Kirton B.W	Leverkusem
23/08/1943	F/Lt Munro R	Berlin
27/08/1943	F/Lt Munro R.C	Nurnberg
30/08/1943	Sgt Webb E.N	Muchen Gladbach
31/08/1943	W/Cdr Johnson P.W	Berlin
03/09/1943	P/O Anderson C.T	Berlin
22/09/1943	F/Lt Munro R	Hanover
23/09/1943	P/O Anderson C.T	Mannheim (All crew Lost)

The report from the Brunt crew states: ‘Amazing number of fighters flares over target’ while the Bull crew observed: ‘’Quite a number of fighters seen in target area by light of enemy flares.’

Anderson & Crew after a night excersise Photo 49 Sqd Association

But on her 33rd Operation to Mannheim piloted by P/O C.T Anderson with his crew,
Sgt Paterson R,
F/Sgt Nugent J.
Sgt Bickle W.
Sgt Buck A.
Sgt Green G,
F/Sgt Ewen E,

T/o 18.33hrs "Lost without trace’. Route believed – Clacton – 50 58N 0254E – 49 55N 0705E – Mannheim."

Loss card for ED702