LAN NE167 startede fra RAF Coningsby 16. august 1944 på minelægningstogt og blev skudt ned over Østersøen nær Swinemünde=Swinoujscie.

"461 bombefly angreb denne nat Stettin (Szezcecin), mens andre 348 havde Kiel som mål. Samtidig udlagde 89 fly miner i Kielerbugten og i
Swinemünde-kanalen. (Swinemünde=Swinoujscie). 3 Halifaxes gik tabt ved Kielerbugten og 2 Lancasters ved Swinemünde. Fly fra 97 Squadron og 83  Squadron skulle markere udlægningen (med markeringsblus) i Swinemündekanalen, mens Lancasters fra 5 Bomb Group skulle foretage den endelige minering.

Markeringen skulle foretages meget nøjagtig og fra lav højde i et område med megen flak. W/Cdr Guy Gibson var forinden blevet spurgt til råds under selve planlægningen, og det blev da besluttet at markere 3 forskellige steder over kanalen (her). Wing Commander Edward L. Porter, DFC, der var ved at afslutte sin anden tur, skulle i Lancaster NE167 være Master Bomber med en sammensat besætning på ialt 8 mand.

Indflyvningen i 300 fods højde forløb perfekt, men over kanalen blev styrken mødt af 5 svære flakskibe. 2 Pathfinderfly blev hurtigt svært beskadiget og måtte forlade området. Reservemarkørfly blev sat ind og foretog deres markering efter anvisninger fra W/Cdr Porter, der under hele angrebet cirklede over kanalen.

Til sidst blev NE167 fanget af adskillige lyskasteres søgelys, og det tyske flak fik skudt sig ind på flyet. Over radioen lød Porter´s rolige stemme: "I´m afraid we have had it. I shall have to leave you now. Bailing out. Good luck everybody."

Squadron/Leader Parkes overtog kommandoen over den resterende del af mineringen og ønskede Porter "Good luck", skønt han vidste, at Porters fly var i for lav højde til, at besætningen kunne springe ud med faldskærm, og det ville blive vanskeligt at foretage en nødlanding med et svært beskadiget fly.

Liget af flyets Mid Upper Gunner, Sgt Terence Michael Twomey, DFM, blev fundet ved Dueodde (omkring her) den 27. september 1944, og han blev begravet på Pedersker Kirkegård to dage senere. W/Cdr "ED" Porter og 3 andre besætningsmedlemmer ligger begravet på den gamle garnisonskirkegård i Poznan i Polen, mens 3 andre besætningsmedlemmer aldrig er fundet.

Operationen medførte lukning af kanalen i flere uger, og Porters dygtige ledelse af mineringen medførte en post mortem tildeling af en Bar til hans allerede i live tildelte Distinguished Flying Cross." (FT 87-94-8)

Wing Commander (Pilot) Edward Leach Porter, 33 år, var søn af Felix Leach Porter og Gertrude Louise Porter. B.Sc.(Econ.). Hæderstegn: DFC and Bar - Distinguished Flying Cross med bjælke. Han er begravet på  i Polen. (Kilde: CWGC) 8 flyvere. 

On 16 August 1944 LAN NE167 took off from  RAF Coningsby  on a minelaying mission and was shot down over the Baltic Sea near Swinemünde=Swinoujscie.

"461 bombers this night attacked Stettin (Szezcecin), while other 348 had Kiel as target. Simultaneously 89 planes laid mines in Kiel Bay and in the
Swinemünde Channel. (Swinemünde=Swinoujscie). 3 Halifaxes were lost at Kiel Bay and 2 Lancasters at Swinemünde. Planes from 97 Squadron and 83  Squadron
were to mark the minelaying (with target indicators) in the  Swinemünde Channel, while Lancasters from 5 Bomb Group were to carry out the minelaying.

The marking had to be carried out very accurately and from low altitude in an area with a lot of flak. W/Cdr Guy Gibson had previously been asked for advice during the planning, and it was then decided to mark 3 different places over the channel (here). Wing Commander Edward L. Porter, DFC, who was about to finish his second tour, was to be Master Bomber in Lancaster NE167 with a crew of 8 airmen.

The approach at an altitude of 300 feet was perfect, but 5 heavy flak ships shot at the planes over the channel. 2 Pathfinder planes were soon severely damaged and
had to leave the area. Reserve marking planes went in and carried out their markings according to directions from W/Cdr Porter, who circled over the channel during
the entire attack.

At last NR167 was caught by a number of search lights and the German flak ranged the plane. Porter´s calm voice was heard on the radio, "I´m afraid we have had it. I shall have to leave you now. Bailing out. Good luck everybody."

Squadron/Leader Parkes took over command of the remaining part of the minelaying and wished Porter "Good luck", even if he knew that Porter´s plane was at a too
low altitude for the crew to bail out, and that it would be difficult to make a crash landing with a severely damaged plane.

The body of Mid Upper Gunner, Sgt Terence Michael Twomey, DFM, was found at Dueodde (about here) on 27 September 1944, and he was buried in Pedersker Chuchyard two days later. W/Cdr "ED" Porter and 3 other crew members rest in Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery in Poznan in Poland, while 3 other crew
members have never been found.

The operation caused closure of the channel for several weeks, and Porter´s clever stewardship of the minelaying resulted in a post mortem award of a Bar to the Distinguished Flying Cross he had been awarded earlier."(FT 87-94-8)

Wing Commander (Pilot) Edward Leach Porter, 33, was the son of Felix Leach Porter and Gertrude Louise Porter. B.Sc.(Econ.).
Awards: Distinguished Flying Cross and Bar. He rests in  Poznan Old Garrison Cemetery Coll.grave 5. C. 1-10 in Poznan in POLAND. (Source: CWGC)
He is remembered on The Walls of Names at the International Bomber Command Centre, Ph1, Panel 86.  

Lancaster III NE167 OF-Y  took off from RAF Coningsby at 21:21 on 16 AUG 1944. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this.) See Lancaster Photos.
See No. 97 Squadron RAF - Wikipedia and 97 Squadron Association. No. 97 Squadron (RAF) during the Second World War. See also p341MACR.
See RAF Coningsby at RAF-Lincolnshire-info and RAF Coningsby 2018 with Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. See Google Map RAF-Coningsby. 8 airmen.