Commonwealth War Graves General Cemetery Hei- en Boeicop

Hei- en Boeicop General Cemetery (municipality of Vijfheerenlanden) contains the graves of six Commonwealth airmen.

The following text is on the plaque at the graves:

In the night of 22 to 23 August 1943, an English Avro Lancaster DV228 returned from its mission: the bombing of IG. Farben factories in Leverkusen Germany.
On the return flight to his base in Syerston England, this RAF bomber was shot above Hei and Boeicop by a German night fighter, navigated from the Schoonrewoerd radar station, after which he crashed and burned.
Six men lost their precious lives here. Only Sergeant S. Williamson managed to jump out of the plane in time.

On August 24, 1943, the six soldiers who were killed were buried here. Every year on May 4, we commemorate our heroes here at this place in Hei- and Boeicop:

Sergeant S.J. Banting, wireless operator / air gunner RAF
Sergeant R.W. Horwood, air gunner RAF
Sergeant E. Johnson, Air Gunner, RCAF
Sergeant J. Punter, navigator, RAF
Sergeant T.F. Watkins, flight engineer, RAF
officer J.A. Spencer, pilot, RAF

On 9th September 2022 a plaque of remembrance was reveiled in the presence of three family members of the airmen that were killed.

Opposite the cemetery is a memorial for the crew.

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

Source

• Text: Dick de Bruijne
• Photos: Arjan Vrieze (1, 5), Dick de Bruijne (2, 3, 4)