Walter France                                                                                            Updated: 19 MAR 2021

Airman: e777324.htm Surname: France Init: W Rank: Sgt Service: RAF Sqdn: 166

P_link: p350.htm Plane: LAN LM652 Operation: Minelaying Crash_site: The Kattegat

Crash_d: d270844 Buried_d: e777 C_link: e777.htm At_Next: NO KNOWN

”Under en mineudlægningsoperation til Danzig-bugten styrtede en Lancaster (LAN LM652) den 27. august 1944 i havet, antagelig Kattegat.
Hele besætningen omkom.” (FAF)

Sergeant Walter France var fra United Kingdom.
Hans navn er på Panel 229 på the Runnymede Memorial blandt mere end 20.000 navne på flyvere, der ikke har en kendt grav. (Kilde: CWGC)

Fra LAN LM652 er 1 flyver begravet i Tved på Mols og 1 i Mandal i Norge. 6 flyvere har ingen kendt grav.

"Efter krigen er adskillige vragdele fundet i Begtrup Vig og i farvandet syd for Mols Hoved, men det har ikke været muligt at identificere flyet ud fra vragdelene.
Det må dog formodes, at der er tale om LAN LM652" (FT 90-106-29) I så fald er flyet styrtet ned måske omkring her.

Se Minelægningsområder og Lancaster fotos. 7 flyvere.

During a mine laying operation to the Gdansk Bay LAN LM652 crashed into the sea, presumably the Kattegat, on 27 August, 1944.
All of the crew perished. (Source: FAF)

Sergeant Walter France was from the United Kingdom.
He is commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 229, among more than 20,000 airmen who have no known grave. (Source: CWGC)
He is remembered on The Walls of Names at the International Bomber Command Centre, Phase 1, Panel 37. 

1 airman from LAN LM652 is buried in Tved in Jutland, Denmark, and 1 in Mandal, Norway. 6 airmen have no known grave.

"After the war a number of pieces of wreckage have been found in Begtrup Vig (Cove) and in the waters south of Mols Hoved, but it has not been possible to identify the aircraft by the pieces of wreckage. However, it must be presumed that this is LAN LM652" (FT 90-106-29) In that case the plane has crashed maybe about here."

See No. 166 Squadron RAF * 166 Squadron RAF-Lincolnshire.info * Lancaster - Wikipedia * Lancaster Photos
Lancaster - Bomber Command Museum of Canada * Avro 683 Lancaster Mk X - IWM Duxford *  Minelaying areas  7 airmen.
Lancaster III LM652 AS-R took off from RAF Kirmington at 20.35 hrs on 26 AUG 1944. (Source: Aircrew Remembered has this .)  See p350MACR.  7 airmen.