Crash Site Armstrong Whitley Buggenum

Against the pillar of the railroad bridge right in front of you crashed Armstrong Whitley Mk V Rs 1536 of 78 Squadron Royal Air Force on August 17, 1942. The plane was on its way to Cologne for a bombing run when it was shot down by a German night fighter. Many residents of Roermond witnessed the battle which took place high above their heads in the night sky. The plane dove and swerved left and right to avoid the beams of light but unfortunately was still hit and caught fire. It looked as if the bomb-laden aircraft would crash in Roermond, but the pilot pulled the plane horizontal and swerved to the right after which the plane crashed into one of the pillars of the railroad bridge. As a result, Roermond escaped a true disaster!
The crew members could not be identified at first and were given a common grave at the Ehrenfriedhof in Venlo. In 1947, two crew members were still able to be identified. All victims currently rest in the Jonkerbos Military Cemetery in Nijmegen, three of them in a common grave.

Sergeant John Hamish Malet-Warden, KIA, United Kingdom
Sergeant John Clifford Beardmore, KIA, United Kingdom
Flight Sergeant Arthur Brown, KIA, United Kingdom
Sergeant Anthony John Rylands Millard-Tucker, KIA, United Kingdom
Sergeant George Henderson Pepper Buchanan, KIA, Canada

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Source

• Text: Leudal Monument
• Photos: Joost Verheijden