On the Wednesday, the 14th of June, 1944, Crew 60 of Squadron 640 took off from Leconfield RAF base in Yorkshire, England, on a night mission.
They departed at 0040 hours and returned at 0538 hrs. The mission was to bomb Evrecy, France and it appears that it was enemy troop concentrations in the area that were the targets.
Unfortunately, the mission had to be abandoned as upon reaching the vicinity of the target, no markers identifying the exact targets were apparent.
The crew were flying a Halifax Heavy Bomber aircraft with the designation MZ 561.
A. C Webb - Pilot
P. R. Lanyon - Air Bomber
H. S. Ratcliffe - Navigator
D. H. Laver - Wireless Operator
D.J. Svenson - Mid Upper Gunner
J. Gray - Rear Gunner (Not Pictured)
J. Brotherton - Flight Engineer
"On all parts of the front Allied forces continue to carry the fight to the enemy. Heaviest fighting has taken place in the Carentan, Montebourg, and Caen areas.
"Air-borne troops have successfully beaten off German attempts to retake Carentan, and are again pushing southward from the town. They have also advanced farther westward in the Les Sablons-Baupte vicinity.
"Heavy armoured attacks persist in the Caen and Tilly-sur-Seulles areas. Development of the beaches is making good progress. The unloading of troops and stores is steadily increasing.
"Allied air forces yesterday afternoon and yesterday evening continued attacks on communications and road convoys in the Cherbourg peninsula, in support of our ground forces. Rail traffic was also bombed. About a dozen enemy planes were destroyed on the ground in a surprise attack on an enemy airfield at Le Mans.
"Before dusk heavy night bombers, with a fighter escort, attacked the E-boat base and dockside at Le Havre. During the night they bombed the rail-way centres of Douat, Cambrai, and St Pol, in the Pas de Calais, and troop concentrations at Evrecy and Aunay-sur-Odon, behind the battle area. Five bombers are missing.
"Incomplete reports show that 17 enemy planes have been destroyed in combats since noon yesterday. Fourteen of our fighters are missing. Seven more enemy planes were shot down over Normandy during the night."
