Crash Site Lancaster II LL639 JI-R 514 Sqn

This memorial stone was erected to commemorate the killed crew members of the Lancaster LL 639 of 514 Squadron RAF :
P/O NWF Thackray, Sgt CW Banfield, Sgt P. Hughes, F/Sgt JR Moulsdale, F /Sgt CH Henn, F/Sgt R.E. Bromley

In spring of 1944 the allies were extremely busy preparing for D-Day. One of the things that needed to be done was to ensure the railway of the enemy was crippled as to ensure their troops could not be moved easily.

The "Transportation Plan" was to ensure the railway routes towards Normandy were crippled.

In the night of April 11 to 12 1944, Bomber Command sent out 352 planes to hit the railway junctions at Achen.

The Lancaster II set off from Waterbeach in England towards its destination. Pilot Bill Thackray had a very uneventful flight towards the target, that later was known to be the most successful raid on the railway system during WWII.

However, the return flight was going to be a completely different story.

From their base in Venlo, night fighters were taking off to intercept the bombers on their way back to base. Uffz. Fischer -of the 12/NJG1- managed to sneak his fighter plane under the Lancaster at around 23.15 hours.

He managed to take a shot at the right wing of the Lancaster. This caused the right outer engine to catch fire. The heat of the engine catching fire caused the right wing of the engine to break off.

The bomber became steerless and the crew were given orders to jump. Sergeant Eddie Humes managed to jump and landed safely in a field near Molenbeersel. The rest of the crew had no chance to exit the falling Lancaster. They crashed with their plane in the corn field to the right of this picture. None survived.

The Thackray crew was buried on April 15 in Sint-Truiden. After the war, the graves were taken to Heeverle.

Sergeant Humes was taken POW. On July 11 1998, Eddie revealed this monument for his fallen fellow crewmen.

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Source

• Text: Luc Van Waeyenberge en Bart Verhulst
• Photos: Luc Van Waeyenberge (1, 2), Bart Verhulst (3, 4)