Donald Mac Russell
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
He was the son of Frank Jeffrey and Lucy Russell; husband of Doris M Russell of Radford Nottingham.
Lancaster II DS772 took off 2201 12 June 1944 from Linton-on-Ouse to bomb rail and transport systems in support of the Normandy Landings. Crashed at Avesnes-les-Aubert (Nord) 11 km ENE of Cambrai. No survivors. Fatalities: Russell+ HC MvIver, JH Wyatt, WH Goodwin, AJJC Dulait, TB Pledger, CHG Hanchar.
According to 408 Sqdn's ORB (TNA Air 27/1798/12, June 1944, Record of Events) 'Unfortunately they are pressumed missing over the target (Cambrai railway junction) ... due to return to this base at 0223 hours and since the time of take off no further word has been received from them.'
671 aircraft - 348 Halifaxes, 285 Lancasters (17 from 408 Sqdn) and 38 Mosquitoes attacked communications, mostly railways at Amiens/St-Roch, Amiens/Longeaux, Arras, Caen, Cambrai and Poitiers. 23 aircraft - 17 Halifaxes and 6 Lancasters were lost.
A Canadia airman Pilot Officer Andrew Charles Myanarski from Winnipeg, won a posthumous VC for his valiant efforts to rescue his rear gunner trapped in the blazing plane. The gunner survived but Myanarski was killed.
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