Remembering Today 4/10/43 Flt Lt:Kenneth Brown,146430,97 Sqdn.Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve DFM

Flight Lieutenant (Pilot)BROWN, KENNETH
Service Number 146430

Died 04/10/1943

97 Sqdn.
Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

D F M
Casualty

 

A No 97 Squadron aircraft lost during the time that the squadron was loaned from No 5 Group to No 8 Group PFF much against Harris's wishes.

 

4-5 October 1943

97 Squadron
Lancaster III JA923 OF-H
Op. Frankfurt

Took off at 1830 hours from Bourn. It is believed the Lancaster came down at Dauborn 10km south east of Limburg. Germany and that the crew were buried at Dauborn. however their graves are now located at Heverlee War Cemetery in Belgium. Details of of the awards made to F/L. Brown and P/O. Alexander were Gazetted on 9 July 1943, but those for F/S. Hogg and F/S. Sullivan were not published until 10 April 1945. F/S. Hogg had previously flown with 196 Squadron.

Crew,

F/L. K. Brown DFM +
F/S. R M. Hogg DFM +
P/O. F N. Alexander DFM +
F/O. L S. Webb DFC +
F/S. J. Curry +
F.S. J T. Sullivan DFM +
W/O. W T. Saunders +

Source - RAF Bomber Command Losses Vol.4 - W R. Chorley.

During the course of 1943, RAF Bomber Command visited Frankfurt on 8 occasions. 1871 aircraft were dispatched with 1677 attacking the target (Industry / Transport) 2458 tons of HE along with 2754 of Incendiaries were dropped. 85 aircraft were missing or lost.

 

Hogg, Alexander and Saunders were reported as dead, as was aircraft type and crash location Dauborn.
Route was via Beachy Head to Frankfurt, crash was 48 km NW of Frankfurt, claimed as shot down by nightfighter.
Seems an unusually light bomb load 8 x 4 ?flash; 2 Target Indicators, yellow; 1 x 4,000 HC and 2 x 1,000 MC bombs.
If they were operating as a pathfinder, perhaps carrying extra fuel to orbit the target?
Might have been the reason a fighter latched on to them?