ED702

Lancaster MkIII
EA-D ED702
D - Donald

HISTORY

Serial Range ED303 - EE202. This aircraft was one of 620 Lancasters ordered from A V Roe (Chadderton) in 1941 and built from November 1942 to June 1943 as 129 Mk.1s and 491 Mk.111s, mixed, up to ED782 and all Mk.111 from ED783 onwards. The Mk.1s were initially
fitted with Merlin 20 and the Mk.111s with Merlin 28 engines. ED702 was a Mk.111 and was delivered to 49 Squadron in March 1943.

The first operation for ED702 was to St Nazire flown by W/C Slee on the 22nd March 1943

22/23.3.43 Lancaster ED702 W/C Slee L.C, P/O Mabee S.H, F/O Mansbridge S.H, F/Sgt Astbury C.K, F/Sgt Bishop P, F/O Chandler E.B, T/o 19.18hrs landing at 01.00

"Bombed primary 22.33 hrs 5,000ft. Smoke screen in operation. Haze and smoke prevented positive identification. Coned 4 times and Mid upper gunner hit by shrapnel in eye. Bombs jettisoned over target on 5th run"

But on her 33rd Operation to Mannheim piloted by P/O C.T Anderson with his crew,
Sgt Paterson R,
F/Sgt Nugent J.
Sgt Bickle W.
Sgt Buck A.
Sgt Green G,
F/Sgt Ewen E,

T/o 18.33hrs "Lost without trace’. Route believed – Clacton – 50 58N 0254E – 49 55N 0705E – Mannheim."

The report from the Brunt crew states: ‘Amazing number of fighters flares over target’ while the Bull crew observed: ‘’Quite a number of fighters seen in target area by light of enemy flares.’