“We were very close to ’Barbarian’ just as it entered the target area over Augsburg. My tail gunner, Sgt. Reeves, told me later that he saw it attacked by a two-engine night fighter (probably ME-110) which caused a fire in the port wing; he thinks it was a fuel tank. He saw all the crew bail out, but only five shoots seemed to open, however, he says he can’t say for sure because we were attacked just then and he had his hands full with a Me-109. (I believe ‘Barbarian’ was a new crew on their first mission.)”
P/O Fred McMurten, pilot, Lancaster ED143