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Lancaster ED408 |
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Type : Lancaster Mark : III Last Flew : 29th April 1943 Known Codes : PH-A |
| Known information | |
| 29th April 1943 | Shot down while on a minelaying mission to the Baltic Sea. Werner Speidel or Paul Szameitat both of NJG 3 made the only claims that match this aircraft. All crew were killed - bodies of Pilot, Navigator and Bomb Aimer later recovered. George Elsworthy (Pilot), Edward Pye (Flight Engineer), Basil Veira DFC (Naigator), James Haddow (Bomb Aimer), William Freeman (Wireless Operator), Cecil Downes (Mid Upper Gunner), Richard Grant (Rear Gunner). |
| Pilots and Aircrew who flew : Lancaster III ED408 | ||
| A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking their name. | ||
| Name | Info | |
| Downes, Cecil William Sinclair Click the name above to see a profile of Downes, Cecil William Sinclair
| Downes, Cecil William Sinclair His Lancaster Mk.III ED408 PH-A of No.12 Sqn was shot down by a night fighter of NJG3 (either Werner Speidel or Paul Szameitat) while on a minelaying mission in the Batlic. All the crew were killed. He was the Mid-Upper Gunner. His name is on the Runnymede memorial. Son of John Ernest and Frances Downes, of Ramsey, Isle of Man. | |
| Elsworthy, George Click the name above to see a profile of Elsworthy, George
| Elsworthy, George His Lancaster Mk.III ED408 PH-A of No.12 Sqn was shot down by a night fighter of NJG3 (either Werner Speidel or Paul Szameitat) while on a minelaying mission in the Batlic. All the crew were killed. His body washed ashore and he was finally buried alongside the recovered bodies of his navigator and bomb aimer at Malbork cemetery. Son of Walter and Alice Elsworthy, of Pontcanna, Cardiff. | |
| Freeman, William Edwin Click the name above to see a profile of Freeman, William Edwin
| Freeman, William Edwin His Lancaster Mk.III ED408 PH-A of No.12 Sqn was shot down by a night fighter of NJG3 (either Werner Speidel or Paul Szameitat) while on a minelaying mission in the Batlic. All the crew were killed. He was the Wireless Operator. His name is on the Runnymede memorial. Son of William E. and Emily Annie Freeman, of Fulham, London. | |
| Grant, Richard Columba Click the name above to see a profile of Grant, Richard Columba
| Grant, Richard Columba His Lancaster Mk.III ED408 PH-A of No.12 Sqn was shot down by a night fighter of NJG3 (either Werner Speidel or Paul Szameitat) while on a minelaying mission in the Batlic. All the crew were killed. He was the Rear Gunner. His name is on the Runnymede memorial. Son of John and Mary Grant; husband of Jessie Denise Louise Grant, of Stoke Newington, London. | |
| Haddow, James Love Click the name above to see a profile of Haddow, James Love
| Haddow, James Love His Lancaster Mk.III ED408 PH-A of No.12 Sqn was shot down by a night fighter of NJG3 (either Werner Speidel or Paul Szameitat) while on a minelaying mission in the Batlic. All the crew were killed. He was the Bomb Aimer. His body washed ashore and he was finally buried alongside the recovered bodies of his pilot and navigator at Malbork cemetery. Son of Stephen and Nan Haddow; husband of Elsie May Haddow, of Southall, Middlesex. | |
| Pye, Edward Alexander Click the name above to see a profile of Pye, Edward Alexander
| Pye, Edward Alexander His Lancaster Mk.III ED408 PH-A of No.12 Sqn was shot down by a night fighter of NJG3 (either Werner Speidel or Paul Szameitat) while on a minelaying mission in the Batlic. All the crew were killed. He was the Flight Engineer. His name is on the Runnymede memorial. Son of Edward A. and Anne Pye; husband of Lilian Wilson Pye, of Liverpool. | |
| Veira, Basil Vernon Lancelot Click the name above to see a profile of Veira, Basil Vernon Lancelot
| Veira, Basil Vernon Lancelot Born in Basseterre, St Kitts in 1914, Basil Veira signed up with the RCAF on 25th June 1941 while living in Montreal. His Lancaster Mk.III ED408 PH-A of No.12 Sqn was shot down by a night fighter of NJG3 (either Werner Speidel or Paul Szameitat) while on a minelaying mission in the Batlic. All the crew were killed. He was the Navigator. His body later washed ashore. He was finally buried alongside the recovered bodies of his Pilot and Bomb Aimer at Malbork Cemetery. | |
Died : 29 / 4 / 1943| Squadrons for : Lancaster III ED408 | ||
| A list of all squadrons known to have flown Lancaster III ED408. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name. | ||
| Squadron | Info | |
No.12 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 14th February 1915 Leads the field | No.12 Sqn RAF No. 12 Squadron Royal Flying Corps was formed on 14th February 1915 from a flight of No. 1 Squadron RFC based at Netheravon Airfield in Wiltshire. The squadron moved to France in September 1915 and operated a variety of aircraft on operations over the Western Front during the First World War. In March 1918, the squadron was re-equipped with the Bristol F.2b Fighter just before becoming part of the newly formed Royal Air Force. The squadron, by then based at Bickendorf in Germany, was disbanded in 1922. The squadron re-formed at RAF Northolt on 1 April 1923, operating the de Havilland DH.9A. In 1924, it moved to RAF Andover in Hampshire and converted to the Fairey . The squadron was the only RAF user of the Fairey Fox and its performance was superior to other types, resulting in the motto of 'Leads the Field'. In 1931, the squadron re-equipped with the Sydney Camm designed Hawker Hart. In October 1935 the squadron moved to the Middle East, but returned to Andover in August 1936. The Harts were replaced by the Hawker Hind in 1936 and in 1938 the squadron was equipped with Fairey Battles. On the first day of the Second World War the squadron moved to France to begin operations. On 12 May 1940, over the Albert Canal, Belgium, one bridge in particular was being used by the invading German Army, with protection from fighter aircraft, anti-aircraft and machine-guns. The RAF was ordered to demolish this vital bridge, and five Fairey Battles from the squadron were dispatched. They met an intensive anti-aircraft fire, but the mission was accomplished, much of the success being due to the coolness and resource of the pilot Flying Officer Garland of the leading aircraft and the navigation of Sergeant Gray. Notwithstanding the success of the mission, the leading aircraft and three others did not return. Flying Officer Garland and Sergeant Gray were both posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. No. 12 Squadron returned to England in June. It was stationed initially at RAF Finningley in South Yorkshire, before moving to RAF Binbrook in Lincolnshire during July 1940, when it was refurnished with Battles. Amongst other missions, the squadron carried out anti-invasion strikes against shipping in Boulogne Harbour in northern France, most notably on 17 and 19 August. The squadron was one of the last No.1 Group units to conduct operations with Fairey Battles. These took place on 15/16 October 1940, when No. 301 (Polish) Squadron bombed Boulogne and Nos. 12 and 142 Squadrons bombed Calais. By November 1940, the squadron had been re-equipped with the Vickers Wellington medium bomber, remaining for the time being at RAF Binbrook. The squadron moved again in 1942, to RAF Wickenby also in Lincolnshire, and soon after converted to operate the Avro Lancaster a heavy bomber. In 1946 the squadron re-equipped with the Avro Lincoln, another heavy bomber. In 1952, the squadron joined the jet-age and re-equipped with the English Electric Canberra jet bomber. After 44 years continuous service the squadron was again disbanded in July 1961. In 1962, the squadron was re-formed to operate eight Avro Vulcan V bombers equipped with Yellow Sun one megaton free-fall strategic nuclear bombs for medium to high altitude release. The squadron initially operated Vulacns from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire and then later from RAF Cottesmore in Rutland. The advent of effective Soviet surface-to-air-missiles made high-flying bombers vulnerable, and in late 1966 the squadron took delivery of eight WE.177B strategic nuclear laydown bombs for low-level penetration missions. It was assigned to Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) as part of the UK strategic nuclear forces deployed with that 450 kt weapon, that was intended as a temporary stop-gap until the UK Polaris force began to take over the strategic nuclear delivery role The squadron stood down from this role at the end of 1967 | |
| Aircraft type : Lancaster | ||
| A profile page including a list of all art prints for the Lancaster is available by clicking the aircraft name. | ||
| Aircraft | Info | |
Lancaster 
Manufacturer : Avro Production Began : 1942 Retired : 1963 Number Built : 7377 | Lancaster The Avro Lancaster arose from the avro Manchester and the first prototype Lancaster was a converted Manchester with four engines. The Lancaster was first flown in January 1941, and started operations in March 1942. By March 1945 The Royal Air Force had 56 squadrons of Lancasters with the first squadron equipped being No.44 Squadron. During World War Two the Avro Lancaster flew 156,000 sorties and dropped 618,378 tonnes of bombs between 1942 and 1945. Lancaster Bomberss took part in the devastating round-the-clock raids on Hamburg during Air Marshall Harris' Operation Gomorrah in July 1943. Just 35 Lancasters completed more than 100 successful operations each, and 3,249 were lost in action. The most successful survivor completed 139 operations, and the Lancaster was scrapped after the war in 1947. A few Lancasters were converted into tankers and the two tanker aircraft were joined by another converted Lancaster and were used in the Berlin Airlift, achieving 757 tanker sorties. A famous Lancaster bombing raid was the 1943 mission, codenamed Operation Chastise, to destroy the dams of the Ruhr Valley. The operation was carried out by 617 Squadron in modified Mk IIIs carrying special drum shaped bouncing bombs designed by Barnes Wallis. Also famous was a series of Lancaster attacks using Tallboy bombs against the German battleship Tirpitz, which first disabled and later sank the ship. The Lancaster bomber was the basis of the new Avro Lincoln bomber, initially known as the Lancaster IV and Lancaster V. (Becoming Lincoln B1 and B2 respectively.) Their Lancastrian airliner was also based on the Lancaster but was not very successful. Other developments were the Avro York and the successful Shackleton which continued in airborne early warning service up to 1992. | |
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