Lancaster

Lancaster LM718 Information

Date: 24 September 1944
Type: Lancaster Serial No: LM718
Service History: 61 Sqn del'd 31-8-44 QR-K, SOC 24-9-44
Classification: FTR
Night/Day Raid Night
Target/Tasking Dortmund-Ems Canal/Ladbergen
SOC/Crash Site: Deurne, Holland
Crew Names: S/L H.W. Horsley evd; P/O C.A. Cawthorne, DFM evd; F/O J.C. Webber pow; F/O J.P.
Wheeler pow; F/Sgt. G. Twyneham +; Sht. H.W. Jennings +; Sgt. R.T. Hoskinsson evd

Wrak van de LM718

Type:	Lancaster
Serial Number:	LM718
Squadron:	61
X1D:	QR-K
Operation:	Dortmund-Ems-Canal
Date 1:	23rd September 1944
Date 2:	24th September 1944

Further Information

"Serial Range LM301 - LM756 This aircraft was one of 350 Lancasters ordered from A.V.Roe (Yeadon) as Mk.111 except for the first ten as Mk.1 (LM301-LM310), delivered from Oct42 to Oct44.

Mk.1s had Merlin 20 engines and the Mk.111s Merlin 38 engines initially installed.

LM718 was delivered to No.61 Squadron 21Aug44.

No other key Raids traced.

When lost this aircrft had a total of 45 hours.

However three other No.61 Squadron Lancasters were lost on the joint attack on the Dortmund-Ems Canal - M_nster.

See ME732; ND988; ED470 Airborne 1917 23Sep44 from Skellingthorpe to breach the Dortmund- ems Canal at Ladbergen, just to the N of M_nster.

Crashed onto farmland near Deurne (Noord-Brabant), some 9 km ESE of Helmond, after being abandoned by the crew.

The two airmen who were killed are buried in Venray War cemetery.

De veldgraven van Twyneham and Jennings

P/O Cawthorne flew his first tour with No.467 Sqdn and details of his award were Gazetted 19Oct43.

S/L H.W.Horsley Evd P/O C.A.Cawthorn DFM Evd F/O J.C.Webber PoW F/O J.P.Wheeler PoW F/S G.Twyneham KIA Sgt H.W.Jennings KIA Sgt R.T.Hoskisson Evd S/L Horsley rejoined No.61 Sqdn and resumed operational flying, as did Sgt Hoskisson.

1Feb45, both were briefed for a raid on Siegen but their Lancaster crashed on take-off, killing S/L Horsley; Sgt Hoskisson survived.

In late April 1997, P/O Cawthorn and F/O Wheeler met at the spot where LM718 had crashed, accompanied by Leo van Hoek who had witnessed their exit over fifty years previous.

Story and photos Daily Telegraph newspaper 28Apr97.

See: NF912. F/O J.C.Webber was interned in Camp L1, PoW No.5987 with F/O J.P.Wheeler, No PoW No. "