Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945

Loss Register


Loss chart: T3217
Day or Night of operation Operation Target Nickname Aircraft
16/17 Dec 43 Bombing Berlin
Factory Aircraft Mk Serial/Wnr. Code Unit Air Force TO/t Airfield
AVRO Lancaster III JA853 MG-L 7 Sqdn RAF 1624 Oakington
Time Cause of the Crash Crash Location Damage Province
1801 Shot down by Oblt. H.-W. Schnaufer of 12./NJG 1 Crashed just w of Tjeukermeer near Follega Friesland
Function Mil Rank Ini Name Age Mil reg Air Force Fate Cemetery Grave Remarks
Pilot W/O. W.A. Watson 21 AUS412327 RAAF MIA Runnymede Memorial 191
Flight Engineer F/Sgt. R.E. Hedges 35 1800194 RAF KIA Lemmer C 8 227
Navigator W/O. W.M. Waterman 21 AUS415061 RAAF KIA Lemmer C 8 226
Bomb Aimer F/Sgt. C.L. Robinson 26 AUS412270 RAAF KIA Lemmer C 8 225
Wireless Operator F/Sgt. J. Butterworth 22 AUS408306 RAAF MIA Runnymede Memorial 192
Mid Upper Gunner Sgt. J. Hurst 19 1817269 RAF KIA Lemmer C 8 224
Rear Gunner F/Sgt. R.D. McWha 23 AUS414816 RAAF KIA Lemmer C 8 223
Wartime Records Background Info
Operations Record Book Chorley, ‘Bomber Command Losses 1943’, page 420; Boiten, ‘Nachtjagd Combat Archive September-December 1943’, page 103; Jansen, 'Wespennest Leeuwarden III', page 78-79

Version March, 2022