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Final Mission
On 15-16 March 1944, ND/530 laden with 1 x 4 000 Lbs, 30 x 48 Lbs, 4 x 800 Lbs and 4 x 100 Lbs bombs was to take part in a large raid on Stuttgart. The Lancaster was attacked, in a typical Schragemusik attack (a fighter using upward pointing cannon) and shot down close to Soissons (Aisne), more or less 50 km north-west from Reims. The attacking plane was a Junkers JU88 of 111/NJG4 3rd group of Nightfighter squadron no 4).
Sergeant Overholt and Sergeant Fox were killed in this attack and P/O Barnes dived from 12,000 feet to escape, unaware that the plane was on fire. Finally the starboard engines were hit and the order to bail out given, P/O Barnes being the last out.
According to a French Gendarmerie report, the Lancaster crashed at Mont-sur-Courville, close to Saint-Gilles (Marne), 24 km west from Reims.
Here is a "rough" translation:-
" March 16 1944 around One O'Clock an English four engine plane was shot down on the territory of the commune of Mount-on-Courville (Marne) but close to theborders of the department of Aisne.
Two bodies were discovered in the remains of the planescattered in the fields. The other members of the crew had escaped by parachute. One of the surviving crew slightly wounded, took refuge at guard-pastoral commune of Crugny (Canton of Fismes), another was discovered towards Fe’re-en-Tardenois by Feldgendarmerie of Chateau-Thierry. "
Pilot Officer Barnes and Sergeant Walker managed to escape capture (Barnes taking approx: 10 months to get back to England)
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