Transcript 550 Squadron Association

550 Squadron and RAF North
Killingholme Association
70th Anniversary of Operations
from North Killingholme
Memorial Visits 2014
Commemorations 2014
During 2014 there have been a number of
commemorations and memorials unveiled for
550 Squadron crews
550 Squadron Association was represented at
commemorations in:
France:
Artolsheim
Sondernach
Fleville
Belgium:
Rebecq
Wevelgem
Westerlo
Sint Niklaas
Jalhay
Berinzenne
Rebecq 2014
Rebecq 2014
• P/O Purney crew (JA712) crashed 27/28 May
1944 in Rebecq, 5 crew killed, 1 PoW, 1
evaded capture
• Additional plaque to the memorial for all 6
550 crews lost over Belgium was unveiled by
representatives from all the 6 crash locations
• British Ambassador present and Canadian
Ambassador represented
• Fly-past by the Belgian Air Force
Wevelgem 2014
Wevelgem2014
• P/O McCrae (LL810) crew crashed 27/28 May
1944 at Lichtervelde, crew all killed
• Crew buried in Wevelgem War Cemetery (a
CWGC section of the town cemetery where 63
Commonwealth air-men are buried)
Westerlo 2014
Westerlo 2014
• F/Sgt Hinde crew (DV309) crashed 21/22 May
1944 in Westerlo
• Memorial unveiled in 1998
• Crash site just a few yards away from the
Memorial Stone
• 5 crew buried in Schoonselhof (Antwerpen)
War Cemetery
• 2 crew remembered at Runnymede
Sint Niklaas 2014
Sint Niklaas 2014
• P/O Dukelow crew (LL851) lost on 21/21 May
1944 on the operation to Duisburg crashed at
Sint Niklaas
• All the crew buried in the town cemetery
• Remembrance at the cemetery 31 May
• Reception afterwards in the Stadhuis
• Canadian Ambassador present
Jalhay 2014
Jalhay 2014
• F/Sgt Jefferies crew (LM425) crashed 30/31
March 1944 in Jalhay: 4 crew killed, 3 PoWs
• Crashed in an area being used for German
military operations so the survivors quickly
picked up
• The dead air-crew are buried in Heverlee War
Cemetery
• Fragments of the aircraft return to North
Killingholme this year
Berinzenne 2014
Berinzenne 2014
• P/O Milburn crew (ME581) crashed 22/23
April 1944 in Berinzenne, all killed
• Memorial erected in 1947 by local people
• A large crater at the memorial site shows the
impact of the crash
• The memorial is reached after a 30min walk
on wooden pathways through the fen
• The crew are buried in Heverlee War
Cemetery
Artolsheim 2014
Artolsheim 2014
• In Artolsheim, France a new memorial
unveiled 12 April this year to:
• F/Lt Crawford and crew (LM392) crashed
15/16 March 1944
Artolsheim 2014
Sondernach 2014
Sondernach 2014
• In Sondernach, France a plaque unveiled 13th
April this year to:
• F/Lt Craig and crew (LL852) crashed 15/16 Mar
1944
• 6 killed, 1 PoW
Fleville 2014
Fleville 2014
• F/O Lohrey crew (RA502)
• Two crew members died when the Lancaster
collided with another Lancaster, five others
baled out and returned to North Killingholme
• Memorial unveiled in 1998 with three of the
survivors present
• Memorial revisited 11th April this year
Aalten 2014
Aalten 2014
• S/Ldr Smith crew (ME840) failed to return on
16/17 June 1944 from a raid to Sterkrade,
Germany
• F16 “missing man” fly-past by Royal Dutch Air
Force 20th June this year over the spot where
F/O Leslie Palfrey was found
• F/O Roy Kay (F/Eng) was the only survivor
parachuting to safety and evading capture