Date: 25/26th April 1945 (Wednesday/Thursday)
Unit: 463 Squadron
Type: Lancaster I
Serial: RA542
Coded: JO-Z
Location: Satanäs, Sweden.
Pilot: F/O. A. Cox D.S.O. Wounded - Interned
Fl/Eng: Sgt. G.W. Simpson C.G.M. Interned
Nav: F/O. J.A. Wainwright D.S.O. Wounded - Interned
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. R. Smurthwaite Wounded - Interned
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. Frederick Emile Parent Age 19. Interned (1)
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. F.W.J.H. Logan Interned
Air/Gnr: Fl/Sgt. W.D. Hogg Interned
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 20.14 hrs from Waddington, Linclonshire to attack the oil refineries at Vallö near Tönsberg in southern Norway. This was one of the last night time operations of Bomber Command in WW2. It also is listed as one of the last air combats between a German night fighter and a Bomber Command 4 engine aircraft.
At 23.00 hrs and at 19,600 ft RA542 was attacked as it approached the target by a Schräge Musik- equiped Ju88 of 4./NJG3 (IUpward firing 20 mm canon) flown by Fw. Kurt Gross.
RA542 was heavily damaged and 3 crew members wounded but despite that, returned fire and in the combat hit the Ju88 with all the crew killed when it crashed at Støledalen.
The Lancaster continued to fly and despite frostbite the crew managed to set a course for Sweden when they made an emergency landing at Satanäs airfield.
Fl/Sgt. Smurthwaite was taken to Lidköping hospital. On the 27th April the rest of the crew travelled to Korsnös, where they arrived on the same day and interned and spent the rest of the war confined (some 2 weeks!). Sgt Smurthwaite recovered from his wounds and was repatriated directly from the Hospital.
After this F/O. Cox and F/O Wainwright received the D.S.O. while Sgt. Simpson received the C.G.M. It states in the recommendations for these decorations that 'the coolness, courage and devotion to duty of these officers and airman were an inspiration to their Sqduadron'.
The Swedish airforce repaired RA542 but it is unknown if it ever flew again - it was subsequently scrapped on 23rd August 1946.
(1) We were contacted by the ex-wife of Fl/Sgt Parent, Shirley who sadly informed that he had died on the 24th August 2011. "LINK" Fred was the last member of this crew to pass away. Such is the importance hat we try and gather as much information as we are able to place in our archives for future generations to remember.
F/O. Arthur Cox D.S.O. and his crew
Lancaster RA542 JO-Z at Waddington prior to the final combat.
Lancaster RA542 JO-Z at Satanäs, Sweden
With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses", Theo Boiten - "German Nightfighter War Diaries", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries".
