Commonwealth War Graves Municipal Cemetery Hellendoorn

The Municipal Cemetery of Hellendoorn contains the graves of 15 airmen. All these men crashed near Hellendoorn during the Second World War. Also of one of these men, the wife was buried near the grave, which makes it a very special cemetery. Below is of each of these victims described how they ended up here.

F/Lt Alec Elliott & Elliott Gladys

On 5 January 1945 departed at 1645 from RAF Lissett in England, the Halifax MK.BIII NR251 with the mission: a raid over the city of Hanover (Germany). After a successful bombing of Hanover, the plane was hit by German night-fighters. Three separate times after the plane was hit by the night-fighters, the aircraft was so damaged that it had become unmanageable. The pilot Alec Elliott gave his fellow crew members the command to bale out. Alec waited until all the men had left the plane and then he tried to jump, unfortunately for him it was too late. The aircraft crashed at 2015 between Haarle and Nijverdal, about 5 km from Hellendoorn. Alec was found dead near the aircraft, with a half opened parachute. He was the only casualty, of the seven crew members, two were taken prisoner of war and the four others went into hiding with help of some locals.

Sgt W.F. Ensor, Sgt EG Edwards, Sgt AE Bell, Sgt R. Jones, Sgt W.C. Warne and Sgt S.G. Jenner

On 15 October 1942 departed at 1854 from RAF East Moor (England), the Halifax W1108 called "The Menace" with the mission: a raid over Cologne. The Halifax was shot down by night-fighter Oblt Manfred Meurer (who also did not live to the end of the war, he crashed on 22 January 1944 near Magdeburg in Germany). The Halifax crashed down at 2253 in Rhaan, about 5 km from Hellendoorn. Of the seven crew members, six did not survive the crash and these men are all buried here. The surviving crew member (Sgt R.B. Fernie) was taken prisoner of war.

Sgt D.W. Ashworth, Sgt W.E. Collis, Sgt B. Chadwick, Sgt H.A. Payne, Sgt C.J. Morgan

On 19 June 1942 departed at 2345 from RAF Feltwell (England), the Wellington Z1611 with the mission: a raid over Emden. The Wellington was shot down by night-fighter Oblt Herbert Lütje. The Wellington crashed on 20 June 1942 at 0237 near Rhaan, about 5 km from Hellendoorn. Of five crew members, no one survived the crash, the men are all buried here.

F/O R.W. Doidge

On 20 October 1944 at 0830 departed the Typhoon IB PD469 with aboard the Canadian pilot Ronald William Doidge. The plane crashed near the bridge over the canal the Regge in Nijverdal, about 4 km from Hellendoorn. Ronald didn't survive the crash, he is buried in this cemetery.

F/O I.J.V. Wallace (photo 5)

On 23 January 1945 at 1520 departed the Typhoon IB RB333 with aboard the Canadian pilot Ivan James Vincent Wallace. The plane crashed near Haarle, about 6 km from Hellendoorn. Ivan didn't survive the crash, he is buried in this cemetery.

F/Lt Leo McAuliffe

On 17 March 1945 at 1600 departed the Tempest V NV710 with aboard the Australian pilot Leo McAuliffe. The plane crashed near the Reefhuisweg 3 in Egede, about 7 km from Hellendoorn. Leo didn't survive the crash, he is buried in this cemetery.

We like to add more information about the casualties buried in these graves. If you know more about these graves, please contact us.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar.nl
• Photos: TracesOfWar.nl
• Andre Gorter (ronald.w.doidge@gmail.com)
• BEKKER, C., Angriffshöhe 4000, Urbes, Hamburg, 1998.
• CHORLEY, W.R., RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, 1942, Ian Allan Publishing, 1998.
• CHORLEY, W.R., RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, 1945, Ian Allan Publishing, 1999.
• MIDDLEBROOK, M. & EVERITT, C., The Bomber Command War Diaries, Midland Publishing, 2011.
• W.R. CHORLEY, RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, 1944, Ian Allan Publishing, 1997.