207 SQUADRON ROYAL AIR FORCE HISTORY
Solly crew EM-M LL973 - the aircraft
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| A representation of 207 Sqn Lancaster EM-M LL973 in red tail fin daylight markings applied the morning of 21 June 1944 in preparation for daylight operations. That night, with the Solly crew, it was shot down on its 16th operational sortie, on Wesseling: source Haslam |
According to The Lancaster File, compiled by JJ Halley (Air Britain, 1985) this aircraft was one of a batch of 350 Lancaster Is delivered between November 1943 and August 1944 by Armstrong Whitworth. It arrived on No.207 Squadron at RAF Spilsby on 11th May 1944 and by the time it was lost on its 16th operational sortie (P/O CJ Solly, Wesseling) on 22nd June 1944, it had logged 81.35 flying hours.
THE SORTIES OF EM-M LL973
date |
crew |
comment |
| (11/12.5.44) | flight testing on Squadron | |
| 19.5.44 | Wg Cdr Grey | AMIENS (recalled by R/T on target, did not bomb) |
| 21/22.5.44 | F/Sgt Boyce | DUISBURG (City attack) |
| 22/23.5.44 | F/O Oakes | BRAUNSCHWEIG (City attack) |
| 24/25.5.44 | P/O Eaton | ANTWERP (Did Not Complete Operation) |
| 26/27.5.44 | P/O Grant | SILVERTHORNES (‘Gardening’ – laying of sea mines) |
| 27/28.5.44 | S/L Pattinson | ST.VALERY-EN-CAUX (Coastal Batteries) |
| 1/2.6.44 | P/O Solly | SAUMUR (Railway junction) |
| 3/4.6.44 | P/O Eaton | FERME D'URVILLE (Signals station) |
| 4/5.6.44 | Wg Cdr Grey | MAISY (Coastal Batteries) |
| 5/6.6.44 | Wg Cdr Grey | LA PERNELLE (Coastal Batteries, dawn of D-Day) |
| 7/8.6.44 | Wg Cdr Grey | BALLEROI/FORĘT DE CERISY important road junction/fuel dumps/tank units: shot down two Ju88 and an ME210 or Me410) |
| 9/10.6.44 | P/O Solly | ETAMPES (Did Not Complete Operation – port inner engine u/s, landed with bomb load) |
| 12.6.44 | P/O Solly | CAEN (Communications attack) |
| 14/15.6.44 | Wg Cdr Grey | AUNAY SUR ODON (Panzer concentration) |
| 16/17.6.44 | F/O Corless | BEAUVOIR (Ammunition/fuel dumps) |
| 21/22.6.44 | P/O Solly | WESSELING (synthetic petrol plant near Cologne) a/c failed to return, probably shot down by a Schräge Musik equipped fighter (upward firing guns) outbound, crashing near Dorne, AS, Belgium) |
OC 207 Sqn Wg Cdr Grey's crew: JS Cook, B/A - Bob Jacks, W/Op
- Alfred Hall, Nav
John Grey, Pilot - Larry Sutherland, M/U - Wallace McIntosh,
R/G: Tommy Young, F/E was
away on a course at Rolls-Royce when this was taken, probably
in July 1944.