On 26 December 1944 RAF Bomber Command dispatched 294 aircraft (146 Lancasters, 136 Halifaxes, 12 Mosquitos) of all the bomber groups (except No.100 Group) to attack enemy troop positions near St Vith. This was the first time since mid-October that aircraft from all the bomber groups had joined together in one raid. The bombing appeared to be concentrated and accurate. 2 Halifaxes did not return from this operation, while a Lancaster force-landed near Reims with a killed aboard.
One of theses losses was the Halifax III MZ740 MP-R of 76 Sqn RAF, that took off at 1252 hrs from Holme-on-Spalding Moor, Yorkshire. It was hit by Flak which completely shattered the nose section. Moments later, the rest of the Halifax crashed into woods near Nassogne, 19 km SW of la Roche-Ardenne (Belgian Ardennes).
The only survivor was the mid-upper gunner who was captured and ended in Stalag Luft Barth Vogelsang (L1).
Source: Aviation Safety
The crew: from left to right, F/O Devoe Woolf - F/S Oscar Frederick Newton - F/S Ken M. Mason - F/O Ralph Hay Emerson - F/O George Floyd - W/O Thomas Richard William Smith, Sgt John Shirra Gray. - P/O AB Clark does'nt appear on the picture