11-12 May 1944 514 Squadron Lancaster II LL739 JI-M Op. Leuven The aircraft took off from Waterbeach to bomb railway yards and was shot up it is believed, by a Fw190 while leaving the target area. A fire started in the starboard inner engine and within seconds the entire wing was engulfed in flames. All baled out. P/O. Cunningham RNZAF landed on the roof of a cafe at Rixensart (Brabant) Belgium, while P/O. Winterford found himself on a nearby rail line where an alert German patrol thought they had caught a saboteur and before he could prove otherwise, he was shot in the leg. F/O. Ramsey and Sgt. Brown evaded capture for a while, but were eventually arrested by the Gestapo. Crew. P/O. A B. Cunningham RNZAF pow P/O. D A. Winterford pow – Held Luft III pow No.6510 F/O. R J. Ramsey pow F/O. R. Brailsford evaded Sgt. J W. Stone evaded Sgt. F W. Brown evaded Sgt. B L. Roberts evaded The Leuven raid of 11-12 May 1944 105 Lancasters and 5 Mosquitoes of 3 and 8 Groups attacked the railway yards but the main weight of the bombing hit the railway workshops and nearby storage buildings. 4 Lancasters lost. Sourced from: Bomber Command Losses Vol.5 – W R. Chorley The Bomber Command War Diary – M. Middlebrook / C. Everitt Footsteps On The Sands Of Time – O. Clutton-Brock
Strange! I have just made a query of a crash exactly one month before from the same squadron where all died but one.
Dear Drew, I see you have placed pictures over here. How can I see them? For the moment I'm working on the crash of Lancaster LL739 from 514 sq. Kind Regards, Rudy
Donald Albert Winterford passed away in 2005. http://www.twosqnassoc.co.uk/pages/stories/remarkable%20people/winterford/don%20winterford.htm
Hi alieneyes, I read your piece on Donald Albert Winterford with great interest. Donald was my 3rd Cousin 2 x removed. I am trying to put a story behind all of my relatives in the family tree, and in particular those with a military background. Could I ask for your permission to use your account of him credited with your name? Kind regards Stephen
Hi Stephen, I didn't write it. I found that page (which now seems to be gone) online. Good thing the text was posted here. I would just thank the site, given that they don't seem to be online anymore. Regards, Dave