Commonwealth War Graves Papendrecht

The general cemetery of Papendrecht contains seven war graves of the Commonwealth from the Second World War can be found. All seven crew members of the Lancaster MK-III nr. ND 913 "Popeye" of the 115th squadron died when the Lancaster exploded.

The bomber was on its way to targets over the oil storages of Bottrop near Saarbrücken during the night of 20 to 21 July 1944. Most probably the aircraft got into trouble near Rotterdam after it had been hit by anti aircraft guns. Just after midnight the burning aircraft appeared from behind the clouds over Papendrecht. The aircraft exploded after the fire had reached the bomb bay. One crew member tried to jump to safety with his parachute but burned alive because of the leaking flames.

The wreckage crashed at the border between Papendrecht and Sliedrecht at the Papendrecht side.

The next day the Germans started a search for the remains of the crew. Of only one member the body was secured, of five others only parts of their bodies could be traced. Two days after the crash they were buried. Of the seventh crew member only a week later, at the salvage of the wreckage the remains were discovered. In the first instance four crew members could be identified. In March 1946 all remains were identified by the identification service of the RAF.

The names of the crew of the Lancaster as listed below received an epitaph from their families:

Flying Officer Colin Mervyn Clarey
30 years of age
Royal Australian Air Force
‘Our Daddy and family hero ever remembered by his loved ones’

Flight Sergeant Charles Alfred Barlow
19 years of age
Royal Australian Air Force
‘Our hero. A devoted son and only brother of Beryl’

Wireless Operator sergeant Douglas Hancock
20 years of age
Royal Air Force
‘As we loved him so we miss him shedding many a silent tear. Dad and family’

Air Gunner sergeant Arthur Walter Middleton
21 years of age
Royal Air Force
‘In loving memory of him we hold so dear’

Navigator Sergeant Edward John Line
21 years of age
Royal Air Force
‘Beloved husband of Marie and father of Linda ever in our thoughts’

Flight Engineer Sergeant Herbert Charles Luton
25 years of age
Royal Air Force
‘Resting until the daybreak and the shadows flee away’

Air Bomber Flight Sergeant Samuel Edward Kirkland
25 years of age
Royal Air Force
‘Greather love hath no man. Ever in the thoughts of mam, dad, brothers and sisters’

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Source

• Text: Sebastiaan Vonk
• Photos: Jan de Jager (1, 2, 3), Arjan Vrieze (4, 5)