Personnel Index - Detail
7/8 March, 1945; HARBURG:
Oil was the target, when 234 Lancasters and 7 Mosquitoes of 5 Group visited Harburg. The bombing results were good, with extensive damage being caused, but the cost was high with 16 Lancaster crews failing to return to their Lincolnshire bases. The squadron dispatched 18 Lancasters on the raid; one aircraft failed to return and a second aircraft had a crew member posted as missing.
The pilot, F/O Elkington had been hit in the leg by flak shrapnel but managed to get the aircraft back OK. However, Sgt Pat O'Keefe was missing and his chute was gone. He had left his helmet behind, we it was presumed he baled out... although there was blood on his oxygen mask. it would appear however, that Sgt O'Keefe the bomb aimer didn't survive his baling out and his body is now buried in Becklingen.