LK710, KN-S(S-Sugar), 77 Sqn, Crash Site location please?

Does anyone have any details on the 'Actual' crash site of the following aircraft shot down off target LAON 22/23rd April 1944.

Many Thanks

Phil

Ser No: LK710
Manufacturer: Fairey Aviation Co Ltd
Contract No: ACFT/891
Req No: HA1/E11/41
Delivery: Batch LK680 to LK711 delivered between 11/10/43 & 20/11/43
Order Qty: 96 B/Met Mk V's
First Unit: 77 Sqn

Sqn: 77sqn
Unit Codes: KN-S
Base: Elvington

W R Chorley Bomber Command Losses gives the following location for crash site:-
5 km E of Soissons in the Department of Aisne, roughly 25 km SW from Laon. The pilot, S/L Bond, was killed and is buried in Clinchy New Communal Cemetery the rest of the crew evaded.

Regards
Linzee

Here is what I found in www.lostbombers.co.uk
Cheers, Karl

halifax LK710 Information
Type halifax
Serial Number LK710
Squadron 77
X1D KN-S
Operation Laon
Date 1 22nd April 1944
Date 2 23rd April 1944


Further Information
"Serial Range LK680 - LK711. 32 Halifax Mk.V. Part of a batch of 200 HP Halifax Mk.V/111. LK626-LK667; LK680- LK711; LK725-LK746 Mk.V; LK747-LK766; LK779-LK812; LK826-LK850; LK863-LK887 Mk.111. Delivered by Fairey Aviation (Stockport) between 11Oct43 and 20Nov43. Airborne 2100 22Apr44 from Elvington to bomb the railway yards. Shot down from 7,000 feet by a night-fighter. Crashed some 5 km E of Soissons (Aisne), roughly 25 km SW from Laon. S/L Bond is buried in Clichy New Communal Cemnetery. S/L K.F.P.Bond KIA Sgt V.H.Clare Evd P/O C.W.Hobgen PoW P/O J.A.Grimer Evd F/S R.E.Johnson Evd F/O M.A.Mason Evd F/O W.A.Jacks Evd P/O J.A.Grimer was initially confined in Hospital due to a badly injured leg. There is a further report that he evaded, in which case it would have been from the Hospital. No PoW No. See pp.173- 175 'No Time to Fear' for further information. P/O C.W.Hobgen was interned in Camp L3, PoW No.4460. "

Regarding the 77 Squadron Halifax shot down on April 22/23 over Laon, I had thought that we were the only loss on that night over that target. I was the Bomb-aimer on VR-J Halifax 11 of 419 Squadron and we were hit directly over Laon on that night. Six of us were able to bail out and we landed by parachute a few miles north of the target. Sgt. Heinz Philipwicz of the Luftwaffe, flying a Me 110, was our nemisis.

2 of the crew were captured and the other four evaded, including the writer. The details are in my books "The Lucky Pigeon" and "Bless You, Brother Irvin"

John

Hello John,

Bomber Command Losses 1944 by W R Chorley lists a total of 9 bombers which failed to return from the Laon op on 22/23 April.

Thanks John for the job that you and your fellow men did back then. I, and many others, appreciate it enormously.

Good health and regards
Linzee