Crash Site Lancaster Mk III ED925

Taking off from RAF Scampton at 21:39 hrs to bomb the Möhne Dam. However some 20 minutes prior to reaching the target the aircraft was hit by flak the pilot was injured, and it is thought that the front gunner, Sgt. Gregory had been killed during this. The pilot asked the crew if they should continue to the dam as he thought the Lancaster was totally controllable - the crew that were able to reply affirmed this.
Just 10 minutes later they were then hit again by the intense flak, one engine caught fire. The pilot released his bomb to try and gain height to enable his crew to bale out. 3 crew did manage to leave the aircraft but Sgt. John Minchin who was badly injured never survived the drop.
The "special" bomb missed the target but hit and destroyed the power station. Sadly the blast from the bomb crippled the aircraft and crashed at 00:34 hrs at Ostönnen.
The tail gunner heard Hopgood's last known words on the intercom before he left - "For Christ's sake get out!". ED925's fuel tanks exploded and the wreckage ploughed into a field.

The crew:
J.V. Hopgood, pilot
C.C. Brennan, Flight-engineer
K. Earnshaw, Navigator
J.W. Minchin, Wireless operator
J. W. Fraser, Bomb aimer
G.H.F.G. Gregory, Front gunner
A.F. Burcher, rear gunner.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Neill DeVall