Information Sign Crash Site Wellington HE281

This information board tells the story of the crash of a Vickers Wellington HE281 on May 24th, 1943.

The aircraft of 426th squadron of the Royal Canadian Airforce (part of the British Commonwealth), was shot out of the sky by the German Luftwaffe. The aircraft still had its full bombload on board. The explosion caused a crater that today is still visible.

Over the years, the bomb crater has formed into a pool that is in gratefull use of the local flora and fauna. The peaceful appearance of the pool today is nothing like the terrible tragedy that occurred here in the spring of 1943 when the entire crew was killed. None of the crew managed to parachute to safety, suggesting that the plane was so badly damaged by the attack that it crashed within seconds.

The crew members are all buried at the local Haaksbergen cemetery. They are also remembered there on a separate memorial to all fallen aircrew who perished in the Haaksbergen area.

DUNKERLY W., age 21, Sergeant, navigator (UK)
JEPSON S., age 20, Sergeant, bomb aimer (UK)
MASTERSON K.H., age 20, Adjutant Petty Officer, radio operator and air gunner (CAN)
RIVEST L.A., age 24, Adjutant petty officer, air gunner (CAN)
SUTHERLAND L.G., age 20, pilot (CAN)

The headstone of pilot Sutherland shows a death date of May 25th, 1943, the data on the CWGC site lists both May 24th and May 25th, 1943. The difference in dates is not unusual given that during the war years it was more often necessary to rely on incomplete records, or the date when the death was officially established.

For more information on the crew, see references to the Commonwealth War graves Commission website.

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

Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Alex Ossel (1, 2, 3), Arjan Vrieze (4, 5)
• -https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2820462/william-dunkerley/
• -https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2820466/sydney-jepson/
• -https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2820467/kenneth-howard-masterson/
• -https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2820470/levie-adrien-rivest/
• -https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2820473/leslie-gordon-sutherland/