RAAF Burials in Europe

Discussion in 'War Grave Photographs' started by spidge, Jun 19, 2007.

  1. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Spidge

    Misses got a new camera, so probably go out today to get some photo's

    Great Philip.

    Was that a pre pre-Xmas present?:lol:

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  2. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

  3. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Spidge

    send me your email address I have some photo's for you from

    DALFSEN EN DEN HAM
     
  4. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Spidge

    send me your email address I have some photo's for you from

    DALFSEN EN DEN HAM

    Hi Philip,

    PM on its way.

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  5. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    He Geoff

    although that they are 3mb new camera :) and new settings DALFSEN is on its wat, other will follow
     
  6. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    He Geoff

    although that they are 3mb new camera :) and new settings DALFSEN is on its wat, other will follow

    Hi Philip,

    Thank you very much for the photos.

    List updated.

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  7. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Your welcome DEN HAM also send
     
  8. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Your welcome DEN HAM also send

    This is the lad you took the photo of at Den Ham.

    F/L Leslie Gordon Knight was the pilot of the Dambuster aircraft, ED912 - AJ-N "Nut" who made the final breach in the Eder Dam.

    Fl Lieutenant Knight_Leslie Gordon Photo.jpg

    Lancaster JB144 Information
    Type Lancaster
    Serial Number JB144
    Squadron 617
    X1D KC-N
    Operation Ladbergen
    Date 1 15th September 1943
    Date 2 16th September 1943

    Further Information

    JB144 was delivered to No.49 Sqdn 30Aug43, joining No.617 Sqdn 7Sep43. Took part in the following Key Operations: With No.49 Sqdn, Berlin 3/4Sep43. With No.617 Sqdn; Dortmund-Ems Kanal at Ladbergen 15/16Sep43-Lost. When lost this aircraft had a total of 37 hours. JB144 was one of five No.617 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. See: EE130; EE144; JA874; JA898; Airborne 2358 16Sep43 from Coningsby to bomb the Dortmund-Ems Kanal at Ladbergen. Flew into trees in the target area and later seven baled out in the vicinity of Amelo, Holland. F/L Knight then attempted a forced-landing at 0346 near Den Ham, but crashed into a bank, whereupon the Lancaster exploded. He is buried in Den Ham General Cemetery. Apart from Sgt Woollard, this was the crew who made the final breach in the Eder Dam. Having successfully evaded, F/O Johnson completed a home run in December 1943, ex Gibralter via Catalina flying boat. F/L L.G.Knight DSO MID RAAF KIA P/O R.E.Grayston PoW P/O H.S.Hobday DFC Evd F/O E.C.Johnson DFC Evd P/O R.G.Kellow DFM RAAF Evd F/S F.E.Sutherland RCAF Evd Sgt L.C.Woollard Evd F/S H.E.O'Brien RCAF PoW P/O R.E.Grayston was interned in Camp L3, PoW No.2531. F/S H.E.O'Brien in Camps L6/357, PoW No.519. "
     
  9. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Thanks for the info will send HARDENBERG later this week
     
  10. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Thanks for the info will send HARDENBERG later this week

    Hi Philip,

    Look forward to receiving them.

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  11. Pieter F

    Pieter F Very Senior Member

  12. bern

    bern Senior Member

  13. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Hi Spidge, I have a very good friend that recently told me about a RAAF pilot that had been killed in the Battle of Britain in 1940. You may have come across this site but you never know? Hope it helps!.
    ST JAMES, SUTTON ON HULL, EAST RIDING - WAR MEMORIAL - Flight Lieutenant Paterson Clarence Hughes DFC

    Hi Bern,

    I am aware of the site. Another member sent me pictures of the new memorial they laid for him from the Shoreham museum.

    He was a brave young lad. His very good friend Bob Doe who was at lasying of the stone sadly passed away in February this year.

    Thank you for thinking of me with this link.

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  14. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    I will try to get you the RAAF war grave in Witmarsum.

    Hi Pieter,

    I would be most grateful if you get to this cemetery for the RAAF lad.

    If you do, there are also (3) RAF and (1) RCAF which are the rest of the crew who died on the day and the only Commonwealth burials.

    Would be good to have the photos of the crew in total. The Pilot F/S Townrow, survived the crash but died one month later. He is buried at Leeuwarden Northern Cemetery which I will have to get at a later date.

    A bit of what is known of Sgt Arthur E. Chapman RAAF

    From: Welcome
    A casualty of WWII was Arthur Edward Chapman, one of six sons and one daughter of Alma and Wilfred Knight Chapman. Arthur's family had shifted to Payne Road, The Gap when their farm at the top of Ashgrove Hill (Glory Street) was partly taken for the tramline extension in May of 1935. With Arthur and Stan in the Airforce and Neville and Wilfred in the Army, a request to have one of his four sons exempt saw the release of Wilfred to help run the dairy farm. As rear gunner, Sgt. Arthur E. Chapman and the entire Lancaster crew were killed in his first operation over Europe in 1943. Arthur was aged 24 at the time of his death.
    Sadly no memorial exists in our district to these three heroes and it is of great significance that the governing committee of The Gap Returned Soldier's League have seen fit to remedy this situation.

    Lancaster ED821 Information

    Type Lancaster Serial Number ED821
    Squadron 100
    X1D HW-A
    Operation Essen
    Date 1 27th May 1943
    Date 2 28th May 1943

    Further Information

    "Serial range ED303 - EE202 This aircraft was one of 620 Lancasters ordered from A.V.Roe (Chadderton) in 1941 and built from Nov42 to Jun43 as 129 Mk.1s and 491 Mk.111s, mixed up to ED782 and all Mk.111s from ED783 onwards. The Mk.1s were initially fitted with Merlin 20 and the Mk.111s with Merlin 28 engines. ED821 was delivered to No.12 Sqdn Apr43, joined No.100 Sqdn 18May43. ED821 took part in the following Key Operations: None with No.12 Sqdn. With No.100 Sqdn as HW-A, Dortmund 23/24May43; D_sseldorf 25/26May43; Essen 27/28May43-Lost. No record of total hours. Airborne 2232 27May43 from Grimsby. Shot down by a night-fighter (Oblt Rudolph Sigmund, 1V.NJG1) and crashed 0145 28May43 at Witmarsum (Friesland), 9 km SSE of Harlingen.

    Of those killed five are buried in Wonseradeel (Witmarsum) Protestant Churchyard,

    F/S L.A.Townrow RNZAF Inj (See below)

    The pilot, F/S Townrow, is buried in Leeuwarden Northern Cemetery having succumbed to his injuries 24Jun44.

    F/O S.A.Bishop RCAF KIA Wonseradeel (Witmarsum)
    Sgt E.Short KIA Wonseradeel (Witmarsum)
    Sgt J.P.Fitchett KIA Wonseradeel (Witmarsum)
    Sgt P.M.Cosgrove KIA Wonseradeel (Witmarsum)
    Sgt A.E.Chapman RAAF KIA Wonseradeel (Witmarsum)
    P/O J.Bolderson PoW
    P/O J.Bolderson was interned in Camp L3. PoW No.1442. "


    Cheers


    Geoff
     
  15. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Hardenberg send geoff

    duur will be next one
     
  16. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Hardenberg send geoff

    duur will be next one

    Thanks Philip,

    Really appreciate the photos.

    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  17. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Duur sent, Grafhorst later this week
     
  18. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Duur sent, Grafhorst later this week

    Thanks again Philip.

    Received and catalogued.


    Cheers

    Geoff
     
  19. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Duur sent, Grafhorst later this week

    Hi Philip,

    Details on the loss of their aircraft!

    Lundie_DCP Photo.jpg

    Aircraft Type:
    Lancaster
    Serial number:
    W 4316
    Radio call sign:
    AR – Q
    Unit:
    460 Sqn RAAF
    Summary:
    Lancaster W 4316 took off from RAF Binbrook at 2310 hours on 12 June 1943 detailed to attack Bochum, Germany. Bomb load 1 x 4000lb bomb, and 56 x 30lb, 690 x 4lb incendiaries. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it did not return to base. Twenty two aircraft from the squadron took part in the raid.
    Crew:
    RAF Sgt Vaughan, R O Captain (Pilot)
    RAAF 412986 Flt Sgt Lundie, D C P (Navigator)
    RAF PO Young, C W R (Bomb Aimer)
    RAF Sgt Thomas, D A (Wireless Operator)
    RAF Sgt Day, L F C (Flight Engineer)
    RAAF 409404 Fl Sgt Gordon, A (Air Gunner)
    RCAF Sgt Cornish, J C (Air Gunner)
    It was later established that the aircraft crashed at Grafhorst (Overijssel), 3kms NNE of Kampen, Holland. All the crew were killed with the exception of Sgt Cornish (RCAF) who became a POW. Both Flt Sgt Lundie (RAAF) and Flt Sgt Gordon (RAAF) are interred at Grafhorst General Cemetery, Holland.
     
  20. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

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