Page 11 - 49 Squadron ED427 Recovery

16/17 April, 1943; PILZEN
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In the light of a full moon, 327 Main Force heavy bombers targeted the Škoda
(Škodovy závody) armaments works at Pilzen (Plzeň) in Western Czechoslovaia. Aircraft from the
Squadron pressed home their attacks with great determination. Unfortunately, the bombing photos
brought back, showed the raid to have been a failure, with a large asylum building several miles
away being mistaken for the factory. To make matters worse, the cost had been very high; 18
Halifaxes and 18 Lancaster crews failed to return.

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Flying Officer Alex Bone and crew on just their 2 operation had tragically perished in the night
and were presumed to have come down in the sea.

It is now known that the Lancaster crashed near Laumersheim in the Rhineland-Palatinate,
Germany. The Lancaster exploded in mid-air and hit the ground at at 02.37hrs.
The aircraft was miss-identified as a Halifax.

Lancaster ED427 (EA-O)

Flying Officer A.V. Bone - Pilot (Killed)

Sergeant R.N.P. Foster Flight - Engineer (Killed)

Sergeant C.W. Yelland - Navigator (Killed)

Sergeant R.C. White - Wireless Operator/Air Gunner (Killed)
Sergeant R. Cope - Air Gunner (Killed)

Sergeant R.J. Rooney - Air Bombardier (Killed)

Pilot Officer B.E. Watt R.C.A.F - Air Gunner (Killed)