Memorial to
the crew of Avro Manchester L7465
'OL-H' |
83 Squadron
Royal Air Force |
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On the 25th March 2009
representatives from the Wings Museum
attended a memorial in Belgium which was
unveiled in memory of the crew of Manchester
L7465 who lost their lives on the night
of 25/26th March 1942.
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| Tragically the seven young
crew members lost their lives when their Avro
Manchester crashed in flames close to the
village of Lichtarrt in Belgium. The crew
took off from RAF Scampton having been briefed
to attack Essen but unfortunately the crew
were shot down at approximately 01.30 hours
between the village of Lichtarrt and Herentals.
Local people were alarmed to hear a howling
sound above the peaceful village of Lichtaart
as the stricken Manchester began its final
descent streaming flames behind it. |
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| The aircraft exploded in
woods and the crew were instantly killed,
the German Army was quick on the scene and
cordoned off the area. A resistance member
Jef Melis sneaked into the woods but quickly
realised that nothing could be done for the
crew. |
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| Manchester L7465 was part
of a group of bombers including Hampdens,
Whitleys and Wellingtons which were briefed
to bomb Essen in Germany. However few planes
found their target and some dropped their
bombs onto a decoy factory 16km outside of
the city. Besides L7465 another Manchester
which was part of the same mission crashed
killing its 7 man crew while landing back
in England. The Manchesters then had a very
poor reputation due to constant problems with
overheating engines, caused by the bad placing
of the cylinders in the 'X' shape of the Vulture
engines. Because of the unusual construction
of the big propellers, the RPM of the Vulture
engines regularly ‘slipped’ through
to 3000 RPM, sometimes leading to an explosion.
Another major problem that unfortunate crews
found was that flying on 1 engine was practically
impossible. Barely 200 Manchesters were built
with only 50 of them found suited for flying.
In June 1942, the unfortunate bomber was taken
out of service and replaced with the Avro
Lancaster. |
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| The crew of L7465 were buried
with full military Honours by the Germans
who laid a Union Jack Flag on each of the
coffins. The coffins were then carried by
four young men with German Soldiers in full
parade dress marching alongside at a slow
speed. The church bells rang in honour of
the crew as the procession approached the
church. The parade stopped at the churchyard
briefly and the parish priest Mr Smets sprinkled
each coffin with holy water. The crew were
finally laid to rest as a German Guard fired
three salute shots into the air. |
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| The graves were marked with
a simple wooden cross saying... 'Hier ruhen
Unbekannte Englische Flieger. Gefallen am
26.03.1942' (Here rest seven British Airmen
killed in action on 26.03.1942). About one
year later the names of the crew became known
through the International Red Cross and the
crosses were replaced with new ones. After
the war the crew were moved to Heverlee Common
Wealth War Cemetery. |
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| Many years later the crash
site was marked by a simple wooden memorial
and after this had suffered by the elements
it was decided by the communities of Kasterlee
and Lichaart to replace the memorial with
a permanent one. The Wings Museum who had
already worked with the local community to
erecting a memorial close by to the crew of Halifax
JN920 were requested to assist.
With help of public donations the Wings Museum
provided a stainless steel memorial plaque
which was fixed to a simple granite stone.
The angle cut off on one side of the stone
represents the cutting short of seven young
lives. |
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Relics found during an investigation at the crash site by the Wings Museum |
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Several coins and an RAF button were discovered at the crash site by the Wings Museum |
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| 67 years later the crash site is officially marked in remembrance |
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| On a rainy March afternoon
67 years after that fateful night the community
together with the local major, The Wings Museum,
representatives of the Fire Brigade, Belgium
Army, Local History Group, and many other
representatives from the local community and
most importantly the family of Sgt.
Albert WOODCOCK and also Sgt.
Colin Smith were in attendance
to witness the unveiling. |
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After a touching speech
from the local history group and the major
of Kasterlee, representatives from the village
carefully laid 7 floral tributes on the
memorial plinth each one representing one
of the members of the crew who paid the
ultimate sacrifice. A single bugler played
'The Last Post' as members of the service
saluted in remembrance of the crew. As the
haunting notes of 'The Last Post' drifted
across the crash site the clouds broke and
a beam of sunlight fell onto the memorial
and the floral tributes. A minutes silence
followed and the remembrance service returned
to the town hall were further readings were
read. |
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Kevin
& Marcel fit the plaque prior to the
memorial service to the crew of L7465 |
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Relative
of Sgt. Woodcock and the Lord Major of Kasterlee
unveil the memorial |
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Wings
Museum Curators with the Lord Major of Kasterlee |
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Notes
from The Last Post drifts across the crash
site of L7465 |
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The
Memorial Plaque supplied by the Wings Museum
UK |
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The
story is told after 67 years |
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Members
of the Belgium Army and the Kasterlee Fire
Brigade |
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Mystery ring - solved
by Jacques Boone
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| Amongst the readings was
a very poignant reading in perfect English
by Mr Jacques Boone (a retired Policeman).
Several years previously he had learned that
a woodsman who had been first at the crash
site had removed a ring from one of the airmen.
He was afraid to come forward but treasured
the ring until his death when his dying wish
was to have the ring returned to England.
Jacques spent many years trying to trace which
member of the crew the ring most likely belonged
to. The evidence pointed to Sgt. Paul Markides
and on the 25th March 2009 Jacques quest finally
came to an end when he was able to present
the family with the ring fulfilling the wood
cutters wishes. |
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Jacques
Boone |
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The
ring is presented to Frank Oliver who undertook to deliver it to the MARKIDES's family. |
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The
ring taken at the time by a wood cutter
from one of the bodies |
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Local
press cutting |
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Frank
Oliver with mementoes of his uncle Sgt. Colin Smith |
The pilot Paul Markides spent his leave with Colin Smith at the house of Frank Olivers Grandparents. |
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Family
of Sgt. Colin Smith and Sgt. Albert WOODCOCK stand
in front of the memorial |
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A simple
cross laid on the site which says
- 'Colin & the boys' |
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In honour to the supreme
sacrifice of 7 young British Aircrew lost
on the night of 25th March 1942 - We will
remember them...
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P/O
Christopher Hugh DANIELSON 62.702
- 20 years old.
Edgebaston, Birmingham.
P/O Donald Mc CONACHIE 404.109 - 29 years old
Windsor, Queensland, Australia
Sgt. Paul MARKIDES 778.497 - 21 years old.
Queensdale, Bulawayo, Southern Rhodesia
Sgt. Albert WOODCOCK 654.156 - 21 years old.
Accrington, Lancashire.
Sgt. Thomas Henry
MILLER 514.426 - 21 years old
(No data known)
Sgt. Alan, Gordon
JAYE 1.043.669 - 19 years old.
Downpatrick, Northern Ireland.
Sgt. Colin, Clement
SMITH 1.181.165 - 21 years old.
Maidstone, Kent. |
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