Another "strange" headstone to add to the difficulty of identification. This headstone at Bergen -Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery denotes the airmen of a specific aircraft "NA508" on a specific date. One is identified with the rest listed on the Runnymede memorial. Is this a headstone to commemorate the crew or are there actually remains interred? RAAF PERSONNEL SERVING ON ATTACHMENT IN ROYAL AIR FORCE SQUADRONS AND SUPPORT UNITS IN WORLD WAR 2 AND MISSING WITH NO KNOWN GRAVE. Source: AWM 237 (65) NAA : A705, 166/33/18 Commonwealth War Graves records W R Chorley : RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Page 284, Volume 1944. Aircraft Type: Halifax Serial number: NA 508 Radio call sign: KN – A Unit: ATTD 77 SQN RAF Summary: Halifax NA508 took off from RAF Full Sutton, Yorkshire at 2315 hours on the night of 16/17th June1944, detailed to bomb Sterkrade, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Crew: RAAF 415498 PO Blair, R A W Captain (Pilot) RAF Sgt H L Moore (Flight Engineer) RAAF 425210 PO Pratt, L G (Observer) RAAF 423597 Flt Sgt G A Armstrong, (Air Bomber) RAAF 410370 WO J P O’Meara, (Wireless Air Gunner) RAAF 427807 FO Date, J M (Mid Upper Gunner) RAF Sgt D G Tastin, (Tail Gunner) A 1947 report by a Missing Research & Enquiry team stated “ the Communal Police at Neuwer-Amstel reported that the aircraft crashed in flames at Neuwer-Amstel on the night of 16/17 June 1944. German documents confirmed that only one body was recovered that of WO O’Meara.” He is buried at the Bergen-Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, Locality Noord-Brabant, Netherlands. The other six crew members have no known grave and their names are commemorated on the Memorial to the Missing, Runnymede, Surrey, UK.
Geoff,I would think that this is an unknown casualty from that particular aircraft. This is the first time I have seen an aircraft identified on an unknown tombstone. Could be one of six aircrew from that aircraft.
Geoff,I would think that this is an unknown casualty from that particular aircraft. This is the first time I have seen an aircraft identified on an unknown tombstone. Could be one of six aircrew from that aircraft. The part that had me wondering was the plural "Airmen" and the RAF AND RAAF denoted on the headstone. I might contact the CWGC and ask what information they have on stone. Cheers Geoff
Has anybody ever seen a Aircraft nominated on a unidentified headstone"? With airmen being plural, how many unidentified bodies are included in the grave? Cheers Geoff
Apologies,Geoff,you are right.Airmen suggests more than one and at least one from the RAF and the RAAF.(I'll blame my dial up display..................) I have seen an entire crew buried in one grave where it would appear that while there was a full compliment of crew casualties proved,individuals could not be identified.However every member of the crew was listed and the interesting point is that the tombstones,(stone plaques) were laid horizonally to cover a grave with standard dimensions.If I recollect correctly,it was a Lancaster which was brought down in the Epernay area while on SOE duty. I think in this particular case,the number of unidentified casualties in the common grave are less than the full crew compliment minus the identified casualty with one casualty from the RAF and RAAF as a minmum.
The engraving sytle indicates a new headstone. Perhaps these are airmen found by the Recovery & Identification Unit in Holland in recent years?
The engraving sytle indicates a new headstone. Perhaps these are airmen found by the Recovery & Identification Unit in Holland in recent years? Indeed, in 1991.
Thanks Pieter for the information.That means that two of the crew remains are unaccounted for from the site of the aircraft crash.
I found this link: Naamloze pagina It mentions that four airmen of the crew are buried together. Thanks Pieter, I'd not seen your post. Interesting stuff.
you'll find many headstones such as this they indicate an aircraft or tank where the individual crew cannot be identified therefore as a crew there remains are buried together, at rest in peace aircraft and armour, as most of you can imagine, create a furness when they explode this example is of an aircrew whom they could identify, but not individually CWGC Beachhead, Anzio
The slight difference here is that the aircraft serial number is mentioned. I would guess that is pretty rare.
you'll find many headstones such as this they indicate an aircraft or tank where the individual crew cannot be identified therefore as a crew there remains are buried together, at rest in peace aircraft and armour, as most of you can imagine, create a furness when they explode this example is of an aircrew whom they could identify, but not individually CWGC Beachhead, Anzio There are many instances of Collective graves and Joint graves, the one above being listed as "Collective" Joint: Collective - Horizontal which I took at Tourville in May where one was fully identifiable (rear Gunner) and the rest of the crew were not. .JPG] Another Collective grave I took at Mareil-Le-Guyon CC at Yvelines in May. There seems to have been enough identifiable remains with each having a separate headstone. View attachment 64802
On the link that Pieter provided (Thanks Pieter) it states "wreaths laid by the graves" Wreaths laid by the graves of the crew members of Halifax NA508 KN-A of 77 Squadron Is this the only headstone? Maybe someone could let us know if they live close to the cemetery. The four must not have been conclusively identified or they would have been given headstones and removed from the Runnymede Memorial? Cheers Geoff
Hi I was just trawling the internet and came across this posting: Another "strange" headstone to add to the difficulty of identification. This headstone at Bergen -Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery denotes the airmen of a specific aircraft "NA508" on a specific date. One is identified with the rest listed on the Runnymede memorial. from Spidge back in 2011 I attended that funeral back in 1991 (ish) and just wandered if you wanted any further information!
Hi I was just trawling the internet and came across this posting: Another "strange" headstone to add to the difficulty of identification. This headstone at Bergen -Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery denotes the airmen of a specific aircraft "NA508" on a specific date. One is identified with the rest listed on the Runnymede memorial. from Spidge back in 2011 I attended that funeral back in 1991 (ish) and just wandered if you wanted any further information! Hi Woody, Any further information would be most welcome. These collective graves are always a bit of a mystery. Cheers Geoff
