Memorial Lancaster ED 887 AJ-A

On the night of 16-17 May 1943, Lancaster AJ-A of the 617th RAF squadron crashed at 02.58 hours on a sandbar near beach pole 47 at the shore of Castricum. All 7 crew members died. The Lancaster was on its way back to RAF airport Scampton being part of Operation Chastise. This operation was conducted under the direction of the famous pilot Guy Gibson and aimed at the destruction of the Möhne, Eder and Sorpedam in the German Ruhr area. The operation was in 1955 immortalized by the movie 'The Dambusters'.

The Lancaster was probably shot down by the 7th Batterie Marine Flak Abteilung 816 in IJmuiden.

The crew members are buried in the [towid] 1362, general cemetery of Bergen NH [/ towid]:

S/L Henry Melvin Young DFC* : Pilot and squadron leader
Sgt David Taylor Horsfall : Flight Engineer
F/Sgt Charles Walpol Roberts : Navigator
Sgt Lawrence William Nichols : Wireless Operator
F/O Vincent Sanford MacCausland (RCAF) : Bomb Aimer
Sgt Gordon Arthur Yeo : Front Gunner
Sgt Wilfred Ibbotson : Rear Gunner

More information about the Lancaster can be found in ‘Stille getuigen. Luchtoorlog boven Castricum, 1940-1945’, written by John Heideman (2024).

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: Mark van der Klooster en Michèl Admiraal
• Photos: Mark van der Klooster (1, 2), John Heideman (3, 4, 5)
• https://www.castricumbakkumwo2.nl/bestellen/bestellen-stille-getuigen/