Crashsite Avro Lancaster Mk1 ED329 DX

On 13 May 1944 around 2.59am, the Avro Lancaster Mk1 ED329 DX of 57 Squadron RAF crashed in this area.

The aircraft had taken off from RAF Scampton at 23.59 the previous evening and was part of a major attack with a total of 572 bombers on the city of Duisburg. On the way back, the aircraft was attacked by a German Messerschmidt Bf110 night fighter of pilot Major Walter Ehle of Stab II.NJG 1, coming from the military airfield of St. Truiden (Belgium), The aircraft caught fire and crashed near the then brick factory with the debris being scattered over a large part of Maasniel, Six crew members lost their lives. They were buried after the war at the Commonwealth War Cemetery, Jonkerbos. One crew member survived the crash with serious injuries and was made a prisoner of war.

The crew consisted of:
Pilot : Flying Officer Victor Albert Wilson RAFVR 126985, killed
Flight Engineer : Sergeant Samuel Laughlin RAFVR 980462, killed
Navigator : Flying Officer John Douglas Wallace RAFVR 130163, killed
Bomb Aimer : Sergeant Philip Gaer Kehl RAF 1335521, POW
Wireless Operator / Air Gunner : Sergeant Richard Bruce Loverseed RAFVR 1198322, killed
Mid-Upper Gunner : Sergeant Alexander Steel RAFVR 1409336, killed
Rear Gunner : Flight Sergeant Cecil Louis Gerding RCAF R/115979, killed

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

Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: TracesOfWar
• - https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/51935
• - https://www.oorlogsdodennijmegen.nl/gebeurtenis/38ff0e52-01e8-48a6-bf29-0ba082682bd0