Blaney, Laurence Allen
Personal Information
Rank | F/O |
Forename(s) | Laurence Allen |
Surname | Blaney |
Gender | M |
Age | 26 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 21-02-1945 |
Next of Kin | Son of James and Margaret Blaney, of Millville, York Co., New Brunswick, Canada. His Brother, Murray Elwood Blaney, Also Fell. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster X |
Serial Number | KB804 |
Markings | VR-E |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | Germany |
Burial/Memorial Place | Reichswald Forest War Cemetery |
Grave Reference | 4. E. 12. |
Epitaph |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 132 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | J/29884 |
Service | Royal Canadian Air Force |
Group | 6 |
Squadron | 419 (Moose) |
Trade | Pilot |
Country of Origin | Canada |
Other Memorials
Location | Outside Former St. Georges Hotel, Teesside Airport, County Durham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Inscribed Slate Memorial Tablet on Stone Memorial |
Memorial Text | A memorial to Nos 419, 420 and 428 Sqns RCAF who flew from RAF Middleton St George during WW2 |
Miscellaneous Information
Mid-way through his first tour |
The remainder of the crew were bmbed by American P38s whilst in captivity in a local police station. |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1823/28 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1823/27 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 20-02-1945 |
End Date | 21-02-1945 |
Takeoff Station | Middleton St. George |
Day/Night Raid | Night (68% moon) |
Operation | Dortmund- to attack the southern half of the city. 528 aircraft, 14 Lancasters lost. The southern half of the city was destroyed. The air-raid recording seems to have broken down completely by this point as there are no details of this raid. |
Reason for Loss | Most reports state that this aircraft was hit twice by flak on the approach to the aiming point. However during a recent visit by the flight engineer, Stan Instone, IBCC were informed that in fact the aircraft was shot down by a Schräge Musik equipped night fighter. The starboard wing and bomb bay were in flames as the pilot F/O Blaney gave the order to bail out. The crew attempted to throw the forward escape hatch out of its open aperture but it jammed in the slipstream but was eventually dislodged and Instone, Owen and Hanna jumped. Rear gunner P/O R Altham was having trouble escaping from the rear turret, the doors being frozen shut. Eventually he and the remainder of the crew were able to make their escape except for the pilot, who valiantly stayed at the controls to keep the aircraft straight and level, when the aircraft exploded. It is not certain why Hanna perished despite having made good his exit from the aircraft but failure of his parachute to open or possibly it being inadequately fastened are possibilities. |