Takeoff at 22:25 hrs for an operation against Dortmund in Nordrhein-Westfalen.
Homeward-bound, the aircraft was shot down by the night fighter crew of Hauptmann Strüning/Oberleutnant Apel of the 3./NJG 1, who had taken off from Venlo airfield in the Netherlands, in Heinkel He 219 A-0 G9+EL. Credited as Struning's 43rd victory.
The Lancaster LL954 AS-E of 166 Squadron crashed near Birgelen-Wasserberg (32 km north of Aachen), with on board two Belgian gunners: Flight Sergeant Armand Richelet (born 29 December 1919 in Mont-sur-Marchienne) and Flight Sergeant Jean Courtois (born 22 July 1906 in Hastière-Lavaux). The flight engineer of the crew also died, the other four were taken prisoner.
Richelet had managed to reach England from Dunkirk aboard a French ship in May 1940. He served for a time with the ground team of 350 Squadron, but was able to train as a gunner, after which he was included in the 166th Squadron. In 1940, he left for England and joined the 350th Squadron as a ground team, but could train as a gunner with Richelet. They died together on the same plane. The two Belgians are buried in Evere.
