156 Squadron Mission Details
Target: Berlin
Mission Date: 23/08/1943
Mission Comments: 21 aircraft detailed for operations. All took off, but one failed to return (P/O ILLIUS & Crew). F/SGT STEPHENS landed his aircraft at ATTLEBRIDGE, rear gunner SGT ATTREE was killed in action, SGT CLEGG (Nav) and SGT WRIGHT Mid Upper Gunner wounded.
Rego Type Captain Departed Over Target Height Returned Flight Time Comments ORB Slide
JA858  Lancaster III  F/O PRICHARD  20:04  23.52  18,000  03:14      202 
ED952  Lancaster  F/Lt COLDHAM  20:08  23.53  19000  03:35      202 
ED926  Lancaster III  F/Lt LUTZ  20:10  23.44  20,000  03:02      202 
JA694  Lancaster III  P/O RYAN  20:10  23.43  19,500  03:20      202 
JA714  Lancaster  F/Sgt WISHART  20:25  23.53  18,000  03:31    In nil cloud and good visibility target attacked at 23.53 from 18000 by the aid of red and green TI's.
Very little flak over the target but a number of S/L's and night fighters.
Windows carried and dropped at 23.10. A/C seen shot down 
202 
JA909  Lancaster  S/L WRIGHT  20:31  23.15  17,000  04:26    This A/C did not attack owing to engine trouble. Bombed ALTENDORF at 23.15 from 17000 ft by dropping 1 x 1000 G.P. L/D 2 x 1000 G.P.
Bombed GARDELENGEN at 23.35 from 18000 ft dropping 1 x 4000 HC.
At 23.41 whilst over a dummy fire a JU88 was sighted on port quarter 300 yds, down 500. R/Gunner advised to prepare for evasive action and gave a 3 sec burst and afterwards raked the JU88 with approx 7 sec burst. Strikes were observed on the E/A on the S/B side and went down in a steep dive, a few seconds after R/Gunner saw explosion on ground which is believed to be E/A.

[ED] - See DFC Commendation for F/O Crankshaw regarding this mission. 
202 
JA673  Lancaster  S/L COOK  20:46  00.15  18,000  03:53      202 
JA702  Lancaster III  F/Lt SLOPER  20:11  23.49  20,500  03:11      203 
ED860  Lancaster  F/Lt THOMSON  20:16  23.49  19,500  03:20      203 
ED842  Lancaster  P/O FRY  20:35  00.03  19,000  03:37  07:15    203 
JA919  Lancaster III  S/L VINCENT  20:37  00.07  20,500  04:00      203 
EE173  Lancaster  P/O ROSE  20:48  00.15  19,000  03:40      203 
ED969  Lancaster III  F/Lt MCGRATH  20:50  00.19  20,000  03:24      203 
JA681  Lancaster III  F/O SHANAHAN  20:54  00.17  20,000  03:50      203 
JA925  Lancaster III  S/L FAWCETT  20:55  00.23  19,800  04:35      203 
ED856  Lancaster  F/Sgt STEPHENS  20:12  23.44  19,000  06:02    In nil cloud and good visibility target was attacked at 23.44 hrs from 19000 ft, by the aid of Red TI's.
Aircraft was hit by flak and attacked by fighters immediately after bombing and nothing further was seen of the attack.
Over the target at 2345/2347 hrs our aircraft was hit by flak on the port wing and at the same time we were attacked by fighters, killing the tail gunner.
Aircraft was badly damaged and the navigator and mid-upper gunner badly injured.
Aircraft finally landed at ATTLEBRIDGE and the injured crew taken to hospital.

[ED] - See DFM Commendation for Sgt Clegg and Sgt Stephens and Sgt Wright for more details on this mission. 
204 
ED829  Lancaster III  P/O ILLIUS  20:13          T/o 2013 Warboys. Believed to have crashed in the Tegeler See, exploding on impact. All were laid to rest at Doberitz, though their remains have since been brought to Berlin and buried in the city's 1939-1945 Cemetery  204 
JA921  Lancaster III  F/Sgt STIMPSON  20:14      23:32    Returned early owing to GEE going U/S just after setting course.  204 
JA915  Lancaster III  S/L GRANT  20:17  23.47  19,000  03:18      204 
ED859  Lancaster  F/Lt ANSET  20:18  23.45  21,000  03:01      204 
JA941  Lancaster III  F/Lt MANDENO  21:19  23.48  19,300  23:32      204