On Friday, the 16th of December, 1943 the crew was detailed to participate in a raid on Berlin. The raid was part of what became known as The Battle for Berlin. A large force of 483 Lancasters and 15 Mosquitoes took part in the raid. The International Bomber Command Centre (IBBC) records note: `The bomber route led directly to Berlin across Holland and Northern Germany, and there were no major diversions. The German controllers plotted the course of the bombers with great accuracy; many German fighters were met at the coast of Holland, and further fighters were guided onto the bomber stream throughout the approach to the target.’

According to the IBCC, 25 Lancasters, including JA853 MG-L, or 5.2% of the Lancaster force, were lost during the course of the mission. Tragically, the crews who survived the raid found England covered by a thick fog when they returned. Many crews were unable to locate their bases due to the terrible weather conditions, or ran out of fuel in the attempt. 31 Lancasters crashed or were abandoned by their crews, and two collided over Lincolnshire. The night became known as Black Thursday, as it resulted in the worst weather losses for Bomber Command during the entire war. 327 aircrew lost their lives, of which around 150 died in England due to the weather. The total fatality rate for the mission was over 9%.

7 Squadron suffered the loss of four aircraft, including JA853 MG-L.