Would appreciate any assistance! Does anyone have a photo? Details of the loss: Source: AWM 237 (65) NAA : A705,166/17/532 Commonwealth War Graves records W R Chorley : RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, Page 171, Volume 1944. Aircraft Type: Lancaster Serial number: LL 639 Radio call sign: JI – R Unit: 514 Sqn RAF Summary: On the night of 11/12th April1944, Lancaster LL639 took off from RAF Waterbeach, at 2101 hours, detailed to attack Aachen, Germany. Nothing was heard from the aircraft after take off and it failed to return to base. Crew: RAAF 409973 PO Thackray, N W F Captain (Pilot) RAF Sgt C W Banfield, (Flight Engineer) RAF Sgt E L Humes, (Navigator) RAAF 415482 Flt Sgt J R Moulsdale, (Air Bomber) RAF Sgt P Hughes, (Wireless Air Gunner) RAAF 424001 Flt Sgt C H Henn, Mid Upper Gunner) RAAF 424363 Flt Sgt R E Bromley, (Rear Gunner) A Missing Research & Enquiry team later reported : “The aircraft crashed at Molensbeersal, 9kms north west of Merseyck, Belgium.” Six of the crew were killed and Sgt Humes was a POW. Those killed are buried in the Heverlee War Cemetery, Belgium. The cemetery is 30kms from Brussels and 3kms south of Leuven. In a POW report Sgt Humes stated : “the aircraft crashed near Hasselt in the district of Heverlee, Belgium.” From this site: BBC - WW2 People's War - Just Another Story - Chapter 7: Fifty Years On His research had taken him to the village of Molenbeersel in Belgium where he met the remaining member of the Conen family who had been so kind to me and several others, who had witnessed the crash or had been young children at the time and heard the story from their parents. Obviously the matter could not rest at that and soon arrangements were in hand to erect a memorial to ensure the incident would not be forgotten - A site was cleared and the villagers built a structure to house a plaque concerning the event. The date for the dedication was set and Mrs. Hill (the sister of Clive Banfield), her husband, myself and my wife, Clive and Judith and several residents were present at the dedication. Nothing was too much trouble for the people of the area who were still full of praise for those who had released them from the strain of the years of the Second World War. The friendship formed over that weekend has not been allowed to lapse. The inscription on the plaque reads: THIS MEMORIAL WAS ERECTED AS A TRIBUTE TO: P/O N.W.F. THACKRAY PILOT RAAF SGT. C.W. BANFIELD FLIGHT ENGINEER RAFVA SGT. R HUGHES WIRELESS OPERATOR RAFVR F/SGT. J.R. MOULSDALE AIR BOMBER RAAF F/SGT. C.H. HENN M.U. GUNNER RAAF F/SGT. R.E BROMLEY R. GUNNER RAAF WHO DIED WHEN THEIR AIRCRAFT - LANCASTER LL639 OF 514 SQUADRON RAF CRASHED AT THIS SITE ON 11 APRIL 1944 RETURNING FROM A NIGHT BOMBING RAID TO AACHEN ERECTED IN THE PRESENCE OF THE SOLE SURVIVOR SGT. E.L. HUMES NAVIGATOR RAF AND MRS A.G. HILLSISTER OF THE FLIGHT ENGINEER
