Missing Lancasters
Failed to Return 550 Sqdn Lancasters
A number of 550 Lancasters listed on our web-site include the tag FTR (Failed to Return) and in many cases there is little information about where exactly they were lost. Clearly as time goes by it becomes even more difficult to obtain reliable information as to the fate of crews and aircraft.
Described below are just a few that were lost over Germany; these are currently being researched. If you have any information about either the crews or flights described below then please email admin@550squadronassociation.org.uk. Indeed if you have information about any crews or flight then again please email the addess above.
Lancaster NG363/BQ-P
Lancaster NG363/BQ-P was flown by F/O C J Clarke and crew. This aircraft was lost on the 07/08 January 1945 during a raid to Munich. Six of the crew were killed and one was injured and became a PoW.
In 2003/4 a request for information from a Brian Chapman in Ontario Canada was published in which he made a request for information about the this crew. See: /original-site-archive/index.htm (follow the Page 1 link).
This web-site has recently (Oct 2011) received a request for contact details for Brian Chapman in order to pass on information about the crash site as follows:
If anyone has contact details for Brian Chapman, or Brian is reading this, can you contact this web-site (email address above) so that the connection can be made and information can be passed on. Thanks.
For details see: F/O C J Clarke page.
Lancaster LM461/BQ-U
Lancaster LM461/BQ-U was flown by W/O J I Miller and crew. On the 19/20 February 1944 while returning from a raid on Leipzig the BQ-U was shot down by a Luftwaffe night-fighter over Germany.
This lost aircraft is being researched for a book due to be published November 2011 (Scherzer Militaer Verlag), Title Aufschlagbrand. The name does not translate well into English (literally "impact fire" or similar): the term is old Luftwaffen slang for a crashed aircraft which was found in a burnt out condition.
For details see: W/O J I Miller page.
Lancaster ND396/BQ-D
The same researcher as above (LM461) is looking into another 550 Squadron Lancaster, ND396/BQ-D (Sgt G Hunter and crew), which failed to return from a raid on 30/31 January 1944. BQ-D was on a raid on Berlin when it was lost in the approach; all of the crew became PoWs. Other than this there is again little information currently available.
For details see: Sgt G Hunter page.
Lancaster ME428/BQ-O
27/11/2011
The same researcher as above has been investigating 550 Squadron Lancaster, ME428/BQ-O (F/O R D Harris and crew), which failed to return from a raid on Dessau on 7/8 March 1945.
His research leads him to believe that this is in fact the 121st, and last, enemy aircraft downed by Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer (16 February 1922 – 15 July 1950), known as "The Night Ghost Of St. Trond", German Luftwaffe night fighter pilot and the highest scoring night fighter ace in the history of aerial warfare.
For details see: F/O R D Harris RCAF page.