550 Squadron and RAF North Killingholme Association

70th Anniversary of Operations from North Killingholme

Memorial Visits 2014

Commemorations 2014

During 2014 there have been a number of commemorations and memorials unveiled for 550 Squadron crews550 Squadron Association was represented at commemorations in:

France:ArtolsheimSondernachFleville

Belgium:RebecqWevelgemWesterloSint NiklaasJalhayBerinzenne

Rebecq 2014

Rebecq 2014

• P/O Purney crew (JA712) crashed 27/28 May 1944 in Rebecq, 5 crew killed, 1 PoW, 1 evaded capture

• Additional plaque to the memorial for all 6 550 crews lost over Belgium was unveiled by representatives from all the 6 crash locations

• British Ambassador present and Canadian Ambassador represented

• Fly-past by the Belgian Air Force

Wevelgem 2014

Wevelgem2014

• P/O McCrae (LL810) crew crashed 27/28 May 1944 at Lichtervelde, crew all killed

• Crew buried in Wevelgem War Cemetery (a CWGC section of the town cemetery where 63 Commonwealth air-men are buried)

Westerlo 2014

Westerlo 2014

• F/Sgt Hinde crew (DV309) crashed 21/22 May 1944 in Westerlo

• Memorial unveiled in 1998• Crash site just a few yards away from the

Memorial Stone• 5 crew buried in Schoonselhof (Antwerpen)

War Cemetery• 2 crew remembered at Runnymede

Sint Niklaas 2014

Sint Niklaas 2014

• P/O Dukelow crew (LL851) lost on 21/21 May 1944 on the operation to Duisburg crashed at Sint Niklaas

• All the crew buried in the town cemetery• Remembrance at the cemetery 31 May• Reception afterwards in the Stadhuis• Canadian Ambassador present

Jalhay 2014

Jalhay 2014

• F/Sgt Jefferies crew (LM425) crashed 30/31 March 1944 in Jalhay: 4 crew killed, 3 PoWs

• Crashed in an area being used for German military operations so the survivors quickly picked up

• The dead air-crew are buried in Heverlee War Cemetery

• Fragments of the aircraft return to North Killingholme this year

Berinzenne 2014

Berinzenne 2014

•P/O Milburn crew (ME581) crashed 22/23 April 1944 in Berinzenne, all killed•Memorial erected in 1947 by local people•A large crater at the memorial site shows the impact of the crash•The memorial is reached after a 30min walk on wooden pathways through the fen•The crew are buried in Heverlee War Cemetery

Artolsheim 2014

Artolsheim 2014

• In Artolsheim, France a new memorial unveiled 12 April this year to:

• F/Lt Crawford and crew (LM392) crashed 15/16 March 1944

Artolsheim 2014

Sondernach 2014

Sondernach 2014

• In Sondernach, France a plaque unveiled 13th April this year to:

• F/Lt Craig and crew (LL852) crashed 15/16 Mar 1944

• 6 killed, 1 PoW

Fleville 2014

Fleville 2014

• F/O Lohrey crew (RA502)• Two crew members died when the Lancaster

collided with another Lancaster, five others baled out and returned to North Killingholme

• Memorial unveiled in 1998 with three of the survivors present

• Memorial revisited 11th April this year

Aalten 2014

Aalten 2014

• S/Ldr Smith crew (ME840) failed to return on 16/17 June 1944 from a raid to Sterkrade, Germany

• F16 “missing man” fly-past by Royal Dutch Air Force 20th June this year over the spot where F/O Leslie Palfrey was found

• F/O Roy Kay (F/Eng) was the only survivor parachuting to safety and evading capture