A BRIEF HISTORY OF LL690 JI-J - · PDF fileA BRIEF HISTORY OF LL690 JI-J ... grave you can...
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF LL690 JI-J Lancaster LL690 JI- J left Waterbeach airfield ( UK ) at 23:14 June 15, 1944 to bombard the target " Z 819 " who was the railway yard of Valenciennes Station . He was shot down in Iwuy (9kms north east of Cambrai) at 00h 52 June 16 and crashed in a place called " Mills " back from his mission after dropping its bombs on target ( in a field belonging at this time to M Fernand Ruffin ) . He was part of a force of 224 aircraft (184 Lancasters , 30 Stirlings , 109 Mosquitoes ) whose mission was to attack railway facilities Lens and Valenciennes ( Valenciennes 123 aircraft and 121 Lens). The pathfinders who tagged the target had to operate on a cloudy day (10/ 10 to 2100 m). They performed a second passage to confirm the labeling of the target of Valenciennes, which left time for German hunters to arrive. Eleven devices only Lancasters were shot down or 4.91% of the committed force . (6 performing the mission Lens and Valenciennes 5 ) . LL 690 had conducted a total of 185.55 hours of flight time ( + training missions). The aircraft was probably shot down by a night fighter : The victory was claimed by Oblt . Peter Ehrhardt , night fighter squadron 9./NJG5 . " Fighting took place at 2000 m altitude . Oblt . Peter Ehrhardt was probably flying an aircraft type Messershmidt BF 110 G -4 , the Original base was Athies -Laon . His squadron consisted of 16 aircraft and was commanded by Hptm PIUK . Little is known about Oblt . Peter Ehrhardt and information about the type of equipment used and the starting point is to be confirmed. He died May 5, 1983 in Dusseldorf . The crew members are buried in the communal cemetery of Rieux -en- Cambresis 4 km east from Iwuy (DG Davis - EA Kingham - FN Ansell - J. Black - FR Spencer) . Before the grave you can see a memorial plaque in honor of Sergeant Bloom missing. F Sgt Hutt is buried in Iwuy cemetery. On this memorial (with a Star of David) can be read an almost illegible inscription : " Flight Sergeant Benjamin BLOOM . Wireless Operator . Royal Air Force VR . Proudly remembered by His Family . Sweet Memories . Olive and sons Clive and Ball . Shalom " A Lancaster II same aircraft than LL690 (4 Armstrong Withworth coolled air engines). 301 Lancasters type II where built to prevent shortage of Rolls Royce Merlin engines.
Transcript of A BRIEF HISTORY OF LL690 JI-J - · PDF fileA BRIEF HISTORY OF LL690 JI-J ... grave you can...
A BRIEF HISTORY OF LL690 JI-J
Lancaster LL690 JI- J left Waterbeach airfield ( UK ) at 23:14 June 15, 1944 to bombardthe target " Z 819 " who was the railway yard of Valenciennes Station . He was shot down inIwuy (9kms north east of Cambrai) at 00h 52 June 16 and crashed in a place called " Mills "back from his mission after dropping its bombs on target ( in a field belonging at this time toM Fernand Ruffin ) . He was part of a force of 224 aircraft (184 Lancasters , 30 Stirlings ,109 Mosquitoes ) whose mission was to attack railway facilities Lens and Valenciennes( Valenciennes 123 aircraft and 121 Lens). The pathfinders who tagged the target had tooperate on a cloudy day (10/ 10 to 2100 m). They performed a second passage to confirmthe labeling of the target of Valenciennes, which left time for German hunters to arrive.Eleven devices only Lancasters were shot down or 4.91% of the committed force . (6performing the mission Lens and Valenciennes 5 ) . LL 690 had conducted a total of 185.55hours of flight time ( + training missions).
The aircraft was probably shot down by a night fighter :
The victory was claimed by Oblt . Peter Ehrhardt , night fighter squadron 9./NJG5 . "Fighting took place at 2000 m altitude . Oblt . Peter Ehrhardt was probably flying an aircrafttype Messershmidt BF 110 G -4 , the Original base was Athies -Laon . His squadronconsisted of 16 aircraft and was commanded by Hptm PIUK . Little is known about Oblt .Peter Ehrhardt and information about the type of equipment used and the starting point isto be confirmed. He died May 5, 1983 in Dusseldorf .
The crew members are buried in the communal cemetery of Rieux -en- Cambresis 4 km eastfrom Iwuy (DG Davis - EA Kingham - FN Ansell - J. Black - FR Spencer) . Before thegrave you can see a memorial plaque in honor of Sergeant Bloom missing. F Sgt Hutt isburied in Iwuy cemetery.On this memorial (with a Star of David) can be read an almost illegible inscription : " FlightSergeant Benjamin BLOOM . Wireless Operator . Royal Air Force VR . Proudlyremembered by His Family . Sweet Memories . Olive and sons Clive and Ball . Shalom "
A Lancaster II same aircraft than LL690 (4 Armstrong Withworth coolled air engines).301 Lancasters type II where built to prevent shortage of Rolls Royce Merlin engines.
The Valenciennes railway yard the following day
The crash site nowdays
The crash site is behind these 2 houses at first plan (Angle of rue Jacques Duclos and rueLafayette), here seen from rue Jacques Duclos
The crash site nowdays seen from rue Lafayette behind the second white house on the left.
The crew members Crew of LL690 (courtesy Barbara Thacker via Linda Ibrom)Rear: Sgt. Ansell, Sgt. Bloom, Sgt. Davis and Sgt. BlackFront: Fl/Sgt. Hutt, P/O. Kingham and Fl/Sgt. Spencer -
