Memorial Crash Mosquito FB Mk.VI NT-176

On February 7, 1945 at 10:26 pm a British fighter-bomber, a De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk VI, took off from Great Massingham, England. The aim was to carry out a nocturnal long-range air attack in Bonn, Germany.

The crew consisted of two 23-year-old Englishmen from The Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, belonging to the 169 Squadron RAF. Flight Lieutenant (pilot) John Benjamin Joseph Smith and Flying Officer (navigator) Kenneth Russel Goldthorpe sat next to each other in the cockpit.

In the early morning of 8 February 1945 they crashed between Hoogcruts and Terlinden. After the crash, their remains were taken to the American Cemetery in Margraten. They were then taken to Venray. There they were reburied at the Venray War Cemetery. They lie brotherly next to each other: Smith at grave VII.E.7 and Goldthorpe at grave VII.E.8.

The crash site is located between the hamlets of Hoogcruts and Terlinden, belonging to the village of Noorbeek in the municipality of Eijsden-Margraten. About 175 meters behind the last house of Terlinden, on the Provincialeweg in the direction of Hoogcruts. The piece of garden of the Offermans family is today a pear plantation of Fruitbedrijf Notermans.

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Source

• Text: Will Urselmann & Fruitbedrijf Notermans
• Photos: Will Urselmann (1, 2), Fedor de Vries (3, 4, 5)