Tongue, Cyril Wallace Langford
Personal Information
Rank | Sgt |
Forename(s) | Cyril Wallace Langford |
Surname | Tongue |
Gender | M |
Age | 20 |
Decorations | |
Date of Death | 24-02-1944 |
Next of Kin | Son of Wallace William and Florence Victoria Tongue, of Moseley, Birmingham. |
Aircraft Information
Aircraft | Avro Lancaster III |
Serial Number | JB668 |
Markings | LQ-R |
Memorial Information
Burial/Memorial Country | France |
Burial/Memorial Place | Weyer Communal Cemetery |
Grave Reference | Joint grave. |
Epitaph | IN LOVING MEMORY OF CYRIL. AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN WE WILL REMEMBER |
IBCC Memorial Information
Phase | 2 |
Panel Number | 255 |
Enlistment Information
Service Number | 1870924 |
Service | Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve |
Group | 8 |
Squadron | 405 (Vancouver) |
Trade | Flight Engineer |
Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
Other Memorials
Location | Adjacent to Village Windmill, Mill Rd, Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Memorial Stone with inscribed Metal Plaque |
Memorial Text | Remembering 405 (Vancouver) Sqn. PFF at Gransden Lodge 1942 - 1945 |
Location | St. Bartholomew's Church, Great Gransden, Cambridgeshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Stained Glass Window, RoH and inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | Commemorating the 801 airmen of 405 Sqn. RCAF who gave their lives 1941 - 1945 |
Location | Pocklington Gliding Club, Pocklington Airfield, East Yorkshire |
Country | United Kingdom |
Memorial Type | Marble Pillar and inscribed metal plaque |
Memorial Text | In memory of 102 (Ceylon) and 405 (Vancouver) Sqns. Pocklington Airfield |
Miscellaneous Information
This aircraft is listed on the loss record as being ND526 which was in fact lost on 24th-25th May 1944. It is thought that it was in fact JB668 |
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The National Archives
Record of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1789/4 |
Summary of Events (Operational Record Book) AIR 27/1789/3 |
Fellow Servicemen
Last Operation Information
Start Date | 24-02-1944 |
End Date | 25-02-1944 |
Takeoff Station | Gransden Lodge |
Day/Night Raid | Night (1% moon) |
Operation | Schweinfurt- the first raid on this particular target (the centre of ball-bearing manufacture in Germany). 734 aircraft, 33 losses (4.5%). A new tactic was introduced where the bomber force was split into two waves separated by two hours. The first wave Lost 22 aircraft (5.6%) but the second Lost only 11 (3.2%) of which only 4 were shot down. Poor PFF target marking led to local reports quoting 'nominal damage'. Note that there had been a raid comprising 266 8th Air Force B-17s the night before so it is difficult to attribute damage levels. |
Reason for Loss | Attacked by a night-fighter on outbound leg and whilst at 19500', severely damaging the starboard wing. The aircraft crashed, on fire, at Weyer, France |