Failed to Return
ME428/BQ-O
F/O R D Harris and Crew
ME428 / BQ-O was one of three 550 Sqdn Lancasters lost on the Dessau operation on 7/8 March 1945. Crewed on this operation as follows:
- F/O R D Harris RCAF (P) [KIA]
- Sgt K J B Smith (F/Eng) [KIA]
- F/Sgt D J Yemen RCAF (Nav) [POW]
- F/O G J Nicol RCAF (A/B) [POW]
- Sgt G P Kelleher (W/Op) [POW]
- Sgt D J Hicks RCAF (A/G) [POW]
- Sgt E R Robinson (A/G) [KIA]
 |
F/O R D Harris
Picture kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |
Other information about the flight and the target available here.
The entry on the 550 Squadron Roll of Honour is available here.
Raid Information
Some information about this raid has appeared in the Association newsletters over the years.
 |
Write-up of 7/8 March raid from 550 records
Courtesy of Jack Harris |
 |
Extract from Newsletter No.20, circulated 5 May 2000 (page 4)
"Hairy Experiences", accounts of two experiences by Douglas Hicks (Air Gunner) Courtesy of Jack Harris |
 |
Extract from Newsletter No.20, circulated 5 May 2000 (page 5)
Courtesy of Jack Harris |
Recent Research
A book published 1 Dec 2011 presents evidence that ME428 / BQ-O was the 121st, and last, aircraft downed by Luftwaffe night fighter pilot Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, known as "The Night Ghost Of St. Trond", the highest scoring night fighter pilot in the history of aerial warfare. See: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinz-Wolfgang_Schnaufer. The rudder of his Bf-110 is on display in the Imperial War Museum, London.
[The book is Titled: "...und brennend abgestürzt...", in English "...and goes down in flames..." (Jörg Helbig (Jörg Andree) Scherzers Militaer Verlag). ISBN: 978-3938845363 and ISBN: 978-3938845363.]
The research indicates that ME428 was downed at 21.56 hrs combat time next to a village named Colbitz 23 km N of Magdeburg enroute to the target of Dessau. An eye-witness was found who was able to point out the location of the crashed aircraft.
 |
A picture from the crashsite (2010)
Picture courtesy of Jörg Helbig |
 |
The Colbitz village Cemetery, the place where two of the casualties were first buried. The body of skipper, F/O Harris was never recovered. The man in the picture is an eyewitness from the village.
Picture courtesy of Jörg Helbig |
If this is correct, then this is the second 550 Squadron aircraft downed by this particular night-figher pilot; there is an online record indicating that DV309 was also shot-down by this pilot on 21/22 May 1944 (at that date his 67th downed enemy aircraft).
There follows below a selection of pages from the POW and De-briefing reports from the Canadian archives concerning F/O R D Harris. The source: LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 File being gratefully acknowledged.
 |
Letter to F/O Harris's wife reporting his death 17 August 1945
Image kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |
 |
Letter to F/O Harris's wife concerning his death 5th October 1949
Image kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |
 |
Post Presumption Memorandum (11.8.1949)
Image kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |
 |
Investigation Report
Image kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |
 |
Investigation Report, pg 2
Image kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |
 |
Report (with two crew members still being listed as fate unknown)
Image kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |
 |
Casualty Enquiry
Image kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |
 |
Report
Image kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |
 |
Evaders, Escapers, PoW Questionaire
Image kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |
 |
Evaders, Escapers, PoW Questionaire (cont.)
Image kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |
 |
Evaders, Escapers, PoW Questionaire (cont.)
Image kindly made available by Jörg Helbig: source LAC/Ottawa, RG 24 Vol.27693 |