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Lxxxx Series
Photo
Serial
Struck Off
Fate
Last Operation
Story
L7527
29/03/1944
Missing
Essen
L7527 was the first production Lancaster. It served with 1654 HCU until being transferred to 15 Sqn in March 1944. It is believed to have exploded over Aachen on its return from bombing Essen on its first mission.
L7528
07/07/1944
Struck Off Charge
Training
L7528 served with A.V. Roe and Boscombe Down doing research until it crashed on 3rd July 1944 with Cat E1 damage. It never flew on operations.
L7529
01/05/1942
Crashed
Training
L7529 served with A.V. Roe until it crashed on 1st May 1942 with Cat G damage. Was towing a glider from RAF Ringway when crew lost control and crashed near runway. All 7 crew safe.
L7530
19/02/1943
Struck Off Charge
Training
L7530 served with 44 Sqn and 207 Sqn but never flew on ops. Then served with 467 Sqn and 1661 HCU but suffered Cat E damage in a crash on 1st February 1943.
L7531
23/04/1942
Crashed
Training
L7531 served with 44 Sqn and 97 Sqn before being written off in a crash. It never flew on operations.
L7532
16/10/1946
Scrapped
L7532 had a long history with 44 Sqn (no ops) - 97 Sqn (no ops) - 61 Sqn - 3 LFS - 90 Sqn - 1656 HCU before being scrapped.
L7533
10/05/1942
Missing
Warnemunde
L7533 was originally allocated to 35 Sqn - but transferred to 44 Sqn. Originally coded KM-K - but changed to KM-J before its first op. Served operationally with 44 Sqn before going missing on 8th May 1942 on its first operation.
L7534
20/08/1942
Crashed
Training
L7534 served with 50 Sqn but suffered Cat E damage on 14th August 1942 when the pilot misread the wind direction and the undercarriage collapsed.
L7535
04/02/1946
Scrapped
L7535 served with A&AEE at Boscombe Down before moving to No. 4 School of Technical Training and then to No. 12 School of Technical Training before being scrapped. It never flew on operations.
L7536
04/05/1942
Shot Down
Augsburg
L7536 served solely with 44 Sqn before being shot down on a raid to Augsberg.
L7537
01/08/1942
Missing
Dusseldorf
L7537 served solely with 44 Sqn before being shot down on a raid to Dusseldorf killing all 7 crew.
L7538
27/02/1942
Crashed
Training
L7538 served with 44 Sqn (no ops) before transferring to 97 Sqn (no ops) in January 42, and back to 44 Sqn (no ops) before crashing and being written off.
L7539
18/12/1946
Struck Off Charge
Training
L7539 had a long history with 44 Sqn (no ops) - 61 Sqn - 50 Sqn Con Flight and 1654 HCU - 463 Sqn - 1660 HCU - back to 1654 HCU before being scrapped in December 1946.
L7540
14/04/1944
Struck Off Charge
Training
L7540 served with 44 Sqn (no ops) - 83 Sqn - 207 Sqn - 1654 HCU - 1668 HCU - 1661 HCU and 5 LFS before being struck off charge after a Cat B crash.
L7541
14/06/1945
Struck Off Charge
L7541 served with 44 Sqn - 1654 HCU - 1660 HCU - 44 Sqn - 1660 HCU - 550 Sqn - 300 Sqn - 1 LFS - 1663 HCU and 1668 HCU before being struck off charge in June 1945.
L7542
22/02/1942
Crashed
Training
L7542 served with 44 Sqn and crashed on 7th Feb 1942. It was originally categorised Cat B - but was recategorised and scrapped on the 22nd. Pilot mistook the windsock and tried to turn onto the cross runway but lost control. All 8 crew safe. Only Pilot named. It never flew on operations.
L7543
13/07/1942
Missing
Danzig
L7543 served with 44 Sqn (no ops) and 207 Sqn before being lost on a raid on Danzig.
L7544
07/05/1945
Struck Off Charge
L7544 served with 44 Sqn (no ops) - 207 Sqn - 1667 HCU - 1662 HCU - 1651 HCU - 1654 HCU before being scrapped in May 1945.
L7545
08/04/1943
Crashed
Training
L7545 served with 44 Sqn and 1654 HCU before being in a mid air collision with an Oxford (AB665) on 9th April 1943.
L7546
09/11/1942
Missing
Genoa
L7546 served with 44 Sqn and 207 Sqn before going missing on an operation against Genoa.
L7547
18/02/1943
Missing
Milan
L7547 served with 44 Sqn and 207 Sqn before going missing on an operation against Milan. Port outer engine caught fire and crashed at St-Brisson in France.
L7548
04/05/1942
Shot Down
Augsburg
L7548 served with 44 Sqn and was shot down on an operation against Augsberg.
L7549
05/01/1943
Crashed
Training
L7549 served with 44 Sqn and crashed on 23rd April 1942 but wasnt struck off for another 8 months.
L7565
17/04/1942
Shot Down
Augsburg
L7565 served with 44 Sqn and was lost on an Augsberg raid on 17th April 1942.
L7566
08/11/1946
Scrapped
L7566 survived the war serving with 44 Sqn - 83 Sqn (for 2 days) - 207 Sqn - 1660 HCU - 3 LFS - 1668 HCU - 1651 HCU and back to 1668 HCU before being scrapped.
L7567
31/08/1942
Missing
Nuremberg
L7567 served with 44 Sqn - 50 Sqn and 49 Sqn before being lost on a raid on Nuremburg.
L7568
16/07/1942
Crashed
L7568 served with 44 Sqn before crashing on 10th July 1942.
L7569
16/10/1946
Scrapped
L7569 served with 44 Sqn being immediately transferred to 97 Sqn. It then served with 61 Sqn and 106 Sqn - before returning to 44 Sqn. It transferred to No.4 School of Technical training on 19/09/1942 and was scrapped after the war.
L7570
09/04/1942
Missing
Gardening
L7570 served with 44 Sqn being immediately transferred to 97 Sqn. Its first operation on 20th March 1942 was a Gardening op in the Necarine area. Flying low after take-off - the starboard wing tip hit a roof in Boston - the port wing tip was also damaged. It crash landed at Frieston where the aircraft was caught by the tide. All crew were uninjured - but the aircraft was struck off charge 3 weeks later. This was the first operational Lancaster loss. The tail and fuselage are now at East Kirby.
L7571
18/09/1942
Missing
Essen
L7571 served with 97 Sqn - 61 Sqn and was on loan with 207 Sqn before being lost on an operation to Essen on 07/09/1942.
L7572
29/04/1942
Missing
Trondheim Fjord (Tirpitz)
L7572 served with 97 Sqn and was lost on its 3rd op attacking the German battleship Tirpitz in Trondheim Bay.
L7573
17/04/1942
Shot Down
Augsburg
L7573 served with 97 Sqn and was shot down attacking Augsburg less than 2 months after delivery on its 3rd operation. On the last operation - this aircraft was the formation leader.
L7574
01/12/1943
crashed
Berlin
L7574 served with 97 Sqn and 467 Sqn before being lost on 22nd November 1943 on an attack on Berlin.
L7575
15/11/1943
Crashed
L7575 served with 97 Sqn and 1654 HCU before crashing and being destroyed by fire on 24th October 1943.
L7576
01/08/1944
Missing
Stuttgart
L7576 served with 97 Sqn (no ops) - 44 Sqn - 1661 HCU - 1660 HCU and 622 Sqn before being lost on 29th July 1944.
L7577
02/03/1943
Crashed
L7577 served with 97 Sqn - 106 Sqn and 1654 HCU before being written off in March 1943.
L7578
10/07/1944
Burnt Out
L7578 was initially allocated to 207 Sqn but immediately transferred to 44 Sqn (no ops). It then served with 83 Sqn - 1654 HCU and 1668 HCU before crashing on 27th May 1944.
L7579
04/10/1945
Struck Off Charge
L7579 served with 106 Sqn - 1654 Sqn and ECFS before being scrapped on 4th October 1945.
L7580
02/11/1945
Struck Off Charge
L7580 served with 207 Sqn - 9 Sqn - 5 LFS and 1668 HCU before being scrapped after the war.
L7581
27/05/1942
Crashed
L7581 served with 44 Sqn but was wrecked in a crash on 20th May 1942. It was on an air test when on attempting to take off the port wing failed. The aircraft veered across the airfield and crashed into 2 Hampdens. All three aircraft were destroyed. 3 of the 6 crew were seriously injured.
L7582
14/01/1947
Scrapped
L7582 had a long career with 207 Sqn - 106 Sqn - 100 Sqn - 1667 HCU - 1 LFS - 1651 HCU and 1653 HCU before being scrapped in 1947.
L7583
31/11/1946
Scrapped
L7583 served with 207 Sqn - 1661 HCU - 5 LFS - and returning to A. V. Roe in July 1944. It was scrapped in 1946.
L7584
29/08/1942
Crashed
Osnabruck
L7584 served with 44 Sqn and was written off on 22nd August 1942 after crashing into high ground on a night cross-country training exercise. All the crew survived.

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Copyright Mark Hanson 2023

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