Raids

Dortmund Ems Canal

David Maltby and his crew were killed on an aborted raid on the Dortmund-Ems canal. Flying from Coningsby eight Lancasters carrying 12000lb. HE bombs and escorted by six Mosquitos, were airborn late on the 14th.September for the attack on the 15th. The attack point was to be close to Munster at a place called Greven near Ladbergen where the canal divided into two branches. Amongst cargos carried by barges on the canal was iron ore from Sweden. The force was split into two with three Mosquitos for each four Lancasters plus two reserve Lancasters.

The Mosquitos were escorting to deal with searchlights, flak and German fighters etc. When over the Channel at low leval, a weather reconnaisance Mosquito flying ahead of the main force reported fog over the target and the force was recalled at 0045/15. On turning back it seems that David's aircraft either got caught in the slipstream of another aircraft or whether he misjudged his height will never be known.

Apparently the crash was seen by Dave Shannon who circled the area for two and a half hours until the air-sea rescue vessels arrived. No survivors were found. David's body was later washed up on the beach but the rest of the crew were never found.

My thanks go to the Simon Wainwright and the Wainwright family, relatives of David Maltby