Commonwealth War Graves General Cemetery Buren

Buren General Cemetery contains seven Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, they are airmen of the No. 102 Squadron RAF, killed on 17/06/1944.

Sergeant (W.Op.Air) John Owen Booker, 1388994, age 21
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Eric Frederick Braddock, 177675, age 22
Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Ernest Arthur Finch, 1894312, age 21
Sergeant (Air Bomber) Ronald Leslie Putt, 1585983, age 20
Sergeant (Nav.) Winston Alyerstone Reid, 1800815, age 26
Pilot Officer (Flt. Engr.) Enrico William Zaccheo, 177540, age 32
Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Gerald Hadfield, 1047949, age 21

On 16 June 1944 at 23:00 departed from RAF Pocklington, the Halifax LW192 with the mission: a bombing raid on a synthetic oil plant in Sterkrade in the Ruhr. The aircraft was part of a formation of 321 bombers, including 147 Lancasters, 162 Halifaxes and 12 Mosquitos. LW192 was shot down by a German night fighter and crashed down in the area of Buurmalsen. All crew members died in the crash, they are all buried in this cemetery. The raid was unsuccessful, only a few bombs exploded near the plant. The damage was minimal and production at the plant suffered very minimal. In total, 31 bombers were lost, a great loss, partly caused by a heavy attack by Luftwaffe fighters that were stationed in the area.

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

Source

• Text: Fedor de Vries & TracesOfWar.nl
• Photos: Arjan Vrieze