Lost during a raid on Essen. The aircraft took off at 20:58 hours from Stradishall.
It was shot down by Hauptmann Walter Ehle flying an Me Bf 110 nightfighter, Stab.11./NJG1 and crashed at 00:08 hours at Bomal (Province of Luxembourg) neau Durbuy, Belgium.
Five were killed and two taken POW.
The overall mission consisted of 369 aircraft of which 40 in total failed to return including 21 Wellingtons, 9 Lancasters, 5 Stirlings, 2 Halifaxes and 1 Whitley.
Average loss for the mission was 10.6%, high compared to the average rate of 5% but the target (Essen) was heavily defended. Damage caused: 33 large and 80 medium fires; 8 industrial and 6 transport premises hit, including the Krupps armament works; and much housing damage causing at least 79 fatalities in Essen, Bochum, Wuppertal and Cochem.
Sourcer: 214 Squadron web-site
