Cycle Route Wings of Freedom: Crash Site Spitfire Mk XIV, RM677, Code DW

During the battle of the Rhineland of February 8 1945 the allied tactical air force flew especially for reconnaissance purposes and the backing-up of ground combat-troops. The 610 Squadron RAF received such an order on February 14.
On this day the pilots had started, at just an early hour as on the previous days, with some activities. One of the pilots was from the Bahamas; Warren Maurice Lightbourn. He was ordered , together with his comrades, to attack targets on the
ground east of the river Rhine.

During the attack the plane was hit by anti-aircraftgunfire (flak), but the pilot thought it might be possible to reach the homebase B.78 near Eindhoven.
However, he could no longer keep the machine in the air and therefore he tried to make an emergency landing. Because he was already flying at a very low altitude he was unable to jump out on a parachute. A then 12-year-old eyewitness, in those days living with her family on a farm at the Brückerhöfen, is convinced that the pilot made a sharp turn in order not to crash into the farmhouse. In doing so the wing touched the ground reason why the emergency landing failed and the aircraft burst
into flames. The pilot was killed at this. Initially he was buried on the spot, but later on there was a reburial at the allied cemetery in the Reichswald, Kleve.

The crash took place at the coordinates: 51.598244, 6.186228.


In collaboration with the municipalities of Bergen, Gennep, Mook-Middelaar and Weeze, the initiative was created for cycling routes 'Wings of Freedom' along crash locations.
In the four municipalities, 28 crash sites have been definitively confirmed. Near each crash site is a memorial sign with information about the cause of the crash. Using the network of cycling nodes, there are four routes of approximately 30 - 40 km. deployed along these places.

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

Source

• Text: Werkgroep Wings of Freedom
• Photos: Werkgroep Wings of Freedom (1), Peter Schipper (2, 3, 4, 5)
• Vliegtuigcrashroute Wings of Freedom