Commonwealth War Graves Protestant Churchyard Hieslum

The Cemetery at the Protestant church of Hieslum, contains one joint Commonwealth War Grave of two British Airmen. The joint grave is marked by a private headstone.

Sergeant (Air Gnr.) James Buntin, 1550979, age unknown
Sergeant (Air Gnr.) John Charles Owen, 954224, age 24

On 13 May 1943 at 2142 departed from RAF Bardney, Lancaster ED589 of No. 9 Squadron RAF with the mission: a bombing raid over the Skoda factory in Plzeň (Pilsen), Czechoslovakia. The aircraft was part of a formation of 156 Lancasters and 12 Halifaxes. ED589 was shot down over the Netherlands by the German night-fighter Ofw. Heinz Vinke, 1V./NJG1 and crashed at 2351 near Hieslum. All seven crew members died in the crash, two of them are buried in this cemetery. The other five crew were never recovered. In total, nine aircraft were lost during this mission. The Skoda factory was only minor damage, most bombs fell next to the factory.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar.nl
• Photos: Commonwealth War Graves Commission