Aircraft Listing

Overview

625 Squadron was assigned the Lancaster, as a heavy bomber. The Squadron's aircraft included Mk I and Mk III versions of the aircraft.

The table below is intended to provide, to the extent possible, a list of all the aircraft that were assigned to and used by 625 Squadron.

The Squadron was assigned 145 Lancasters and lost a total of 74 aircraft while on sorties over enemy soil, or that crashed on take-off or landing on UK soil during a sortie, or were destroyed by an intruder, or collided with another aircraft or crashed while on a training exercise.

Components were transported by road to Woodford, Cheshire, United Kingdom for final assembly.

625 Squadron's First Loss

JA714 (CF-R)

The Squadron suffered its first loss on October 20, 1943 when Lancaster JA714 (CF-R) piloted by F/O William Parmenas Cameron, RCAF and his crew Sgt John Wilson Diggle, Sgt John Henry Hawkins, P/O Clifford Wallace McFarlane, Sgt Frederick Allan Porter, F/O Albert Vernon Snook, Sgt Leonard Wild were shot down by a German night fighter enroute to the bombing target of Leipzig, Germany.

The Lancaster crashed over the Dutch coast, near Texel Island. On the day that Leonard Wild was killed, it was his 23rd birthday.

625 Squadron's Last Loss

PD204 (CF-P)

The Squadron suffered its final loss on April 10, 1945 when Lancaster PD204 (CF-P) piloted by F/O Joseph Fred Mooney, was abandoned over Belgium after an "extremely rough trip" involving multiple engine failures and flak damage. The Lancaster was returning from a sortie on Plauen, Germany. Remarkably, the entire crew survived and returned safely. The pilot of this aircraft was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his actions. The navigator was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). For a full account of this loss, please see the Aircrew Remembered Archive Report #74.

Lancaster manufacturing for large components at the A. V. Roe and Co. Ltd. factory in Chadderton, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom.

625 Squadron's First Lancaster - JB122 (CF-H)

Avro Lancaster JB122 (CF-H) was built at Chadderton and delivered to 100 Squadron in August 1943. It was transferred to 625 Squadron from 'C' Flight of 100 Squadron and was the first of the Squadron's aircraft to land at Kelstern at 10:57 hours on October 13, 1943. The aircraft was lost on the Berlin raid of January 30/31, 1944.

625 Squadron's Longest Serving Lancaster - PB150 (CF-V/L)

Lancaster PB150 (CF-V/L) flew the most sorties in 625 Squadron. It flew 100 sorties leading up to a "Manna" sortie in 1945.

Lancaster PB150, CF-V

Scrapped May 22, 1947

Lancaster Bomber - Technical Information

For technical information about the Lancaster bomber, please click here.

Note To Users of The Aircraft Reports

The 625 Squadron Website has chosen to classify the categories for aircraft losses in a somewhat different manner than how Bomber Command classified aircraft losses. Bomber Command and other researchers have treated the 6 aircraft that crashed on UK soil as not being included in the aircraft that were lost on operations. The Webmaster and Researcher, Philip Townsend believes that each of the 6 aircraft that crashed on UK soil should be included in the Lost On Operations category due to the fact that each one of these aircraft were lost during take off, or landing as part of an active sortie or was shot down by an intruder near the Kelstern station when it was returning from a sortie. The two aircraft that were lost on training exercises have not been included in the Lost On Operations category and have been included in the Crashed On Training Exercise category. The Webmaster contends that Bomber Command made the wrong decision as it relates to the classification of the 6 aircraft that crashed on UK soil.

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