ED864 AJ-B
Avro Lancaster B.III (Type 464 Provisioning)
| Code letters | AJ-B |
|---|---|
| Squadron | No. 617 Squadron (Dambusters) |
| Mark | B.III (Type 464 Provisioning) |
| Fate | Lost on operations |
| Lost | 16 May 1943 |
Notes
AJ-B, flown by Flight Lieutenant Bill Astell, was lost on the outward flight to the dams on the night of 16/17 May 1943. It is believed to have struck high-tension cables or an obstruction in the Ruhr approaches and crashed; Astell and all his crew were killed.
Operations flown
Operation Chastise (16 May 1943) — Crashed outbound
Crew: Donald Hopkinson (Bomb aimer) · John Kinnear (Flight engineer) · Francis Anthony Garbas (Front gunner) · Floyd Alvin Wile (Navigator) · William Astell (Pilot) · Richard Bolitho (Rear gunner) · Abram Garshowitz (Wireless operator)
Source: Dambusters Blog — Operation Chastise complete crew list →