Commonwealth War Graves N.H. Churchyard

The Cemetery of the Protestant Church in Damwoude contains six Commonwealth War Graves.
These are the graves of airmen of No. 7 Squadron RAF, who died on 01-05-1943.

Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Arthur Edward Emms, 1576201, RAF, age unknown
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Ernest Claude Hallding, J/17288, RCAF, age 22
Warrant Officer Class ll (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Louis Nutik, R/94118, RCAF, age 20
Sergeant (Air Bomber) Norman Arthur Peachey, 122120, RAF, age 32
Flight Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Harold Sobel, R/133756, RCAF, age unknown
Pilot Officer (Nav.) Geoffrey Wragge, 139947, RAF, age 23

On 1 May 1943 at 0040 departed from RAF Oakington, the Stirling R9263 with the mission: a bombing raid over the city of Bocholt in Germany. The aircraft was shot down over the Netherlands by the German night-fighter Leutnant Heinz Grimm 12/NJG 1. and crashed at 0252 in the former village of Akkerwoude. The crash killed six of the seven crew members, they are buried in this cemetery. One crew member survived the crash, he was taken prisoner of war by the Germans.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar.nl
• Photos: Nico Nienhuis
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• CHORLEY, W.R., RAF Bomber Command Losses of the Second World War, 1943, Midland Publishing, Hinckley, 2007.
• MIDDLEBROOK, M. & EVERITT, C., The Bomber Command War Diaries, Midland Publishing, 2011.