Commonwealth War Graves Courouvre

On the General Cemetery in Courouvre are two Commonwealth war graves. These are the graves of F/O W.C. Hillier and A.F. Smith.

On 6 December 1942 at 16:30 departed from Linton-on-Ouse Airbase the Halifax BB242 with the mission: a raid over the city of Mannheim in Germany. On board were Rear Turret Gunner Alan Frank Smith, Mid Upper Turret Gunner John Theckston, Pilot William Charles Hillier, Wireless Airgunner Robert Law Macdonald, Flight Engineer John Parkin. Wireless Operator Henry Robertson and Navigator Herbert Cantor. At 19.30 hrs the plane was shot down by Messerschmitt 110, with pilot Major Gerhard friedrich (his 6th victory). Alan Frank Smith was trapped in his tailgun position and William Charles Hillier kept the controls to give the other members a chance to escape from the plane. The Halifax crashed near Courouvre. Theckston, McDonald and Parkin managed to evade with their parachutes, but were handed over to the Germans by the Mayor of Courouvre and were taken POW. Robertson and Canton managed to evade by their parachute and contacted the French resistance. They returned to England. In the crash, Alan Frank Smith was killed and William charles Hillier died shortly after of his burns. the both men were interred at the Courouvre Cemetery.

We like to add more information about the casualties buried in these graves. If you know more about these graves, please contact us.

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

Source

• Text: TracesOfWar.nl, Wilco Vermeer & Iain Smith (family Alan Frank Smith)
• Photos: Theo Moerenhout
• http://www.rafcommands.com/database/awards/details.php?qname=MACDONALD&qnum=R/62809
• CHORLEY, W.R., RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, 1942, Ian Allan Publishing, 1998.