Serialnr : R5610   OL-G

Squadron : 83

Mission : Frankfurt

24-54/08/1942

“Serial range R5482 – R5763 This aircraft was one of 200 Manchesters ordered from A.V.Roe (Manchester) Sep39 and built as Lancaster Mk.1 and delivered from Feb42 to Jul42 with Merlin 20 engines. Those remaining operational in early 1943 had Merlin 22s substituted. R5610 was delivered to No.83 Sqdn 10May42. R5610 took part in the following Key Operations: When lost this aircraft had a total of 141 hours. R5610 was one of two No.83 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. See R5623. Airborne 2051 24Aug42 from Wyton. Shot down by a night-fighter (Oblt Walter Barte, 4./NJG1) and crashed 0215 25Aug42 at Morkhoven (Antwerpen), 6 km SSW of Herentals, Belgium. Those killed are buried in Morkhoven Communal Cemetery. F/L O.R.Matheson DFC Evd Sgt P.Squires KIA F/L R.M.Buchan DFC KIA F/L J.W.Dicker RAAF PoW F/S W.R.Cubberley PoW Sgt E.V.Norman KIA Sgt H.D.Quintrell KIA F/S W.R.Cubberley was interned in Camps 8B/344, Pow No.27030. F/L J.W.Dicker in Camp L3, PoW No.641.

pdf with the crashreport and photo’s

R5610 PDF

No parts were found on the crashsite by Planehunters

Regards

Benny Ceulaers

( source Lost bombers)

RAF casuality reports

Regards Benny

Niet te missen,met vele mooie stukken van de Lancaster opgravingen

Mvg Benny

This year the ceremony will be held on the 19th of May at the Memorial garden at Snaith airfield. If the weather is fine there will be a fly past from the Lancaster.

Hope to see you there

Regards Benny and the team

 Benny try to figure out how to get this nice part of the shed

 After almost 70 years it looks in  reasonable good condition

 In my shed after the first cleaning

 It started to shine again

 Thijs and Benny

More photo’s in the link

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=affae4cfa0d105dd&id=AFFAE4CFA0D105DD%214310&authkey=!ADe6Ft_uEIwMH0A

Regards

Benny Ceulaers

JN-?

150 SQN.

Serial Range BJ818 – BJ847. 30 Wellington Mk.111. Part of a batch of 600 Wellington Mk.111. BJ581-BJ625; BJ642-BJ675; BJ688-BJ730; BJ753-BJ801; BJ818-BJ847; BJ876-BJ922; BJ958-BJ951; BK123-BK166; BK179-BK214; BK234-BK281; BK295-BK315; BK330-BK368; BK385-BK408; BK426-BK471; BK489-BK517; BK534-BK564 600 Mk.111 delivered by Vickers (Chester) between May42 and Dec42. BJ831 was one of three No.150 Sqdn Wellingtons lost on this operation.  Airborne 2101 24Aug42 from Snaith.

Hit by Flak over the target, wounding Sgt Matthews. Homebound, shot down by a night-fighter Fw Fritz Shellwat 5./NJG1 and crashed in a field near the hamlets of Kersbeek and Miskom (Brabant), some11 kmNNE of Tienen,Belgium. Those killed in the crash are buried in Kersbeek-Miskom Churchyard. Sgt Magenis is buried in theBerlin1939-45WarCemetery, after collapsing with dysentry while being force-marched 3Mar45. F/S H.M.Thompson RNZAF KIA Sgt L.S.Magenis PoW Sgt B.H.Glasse PoW Sgt N.C.Holdaway RAAF KIA Sgt K.L.Matthews KIA Sgt B.H.Glasse was interned in Camps 8B/344, PoW No.27141. Died 9Mar45 on The Forced March. No known grave. Sgt L.S.Magenis also in Camps 8B/344, PoW No.27032, also died of dysentry on The Forced March, 3Mar45. ”

Graves at the Kersbeek-Miskom Churchyard (Photo B. Ceulaers)

Every year the people of Kersbeek-Miskom are holding a remembrance day for this crew,see the link below

https://picasaweb.google.com/105791438231038834923/NSBHerdenkingsplechtigheidInKersbeek#

pdf file with more  photo’s  Wellington BJ831 pdf file

Regards

Benny Ceulaers

parts of the navigatorsmap

31 July /1 Aug. 1942

16 O.T.U. ( Operational Training Unit )

Mission: Düsseldorf

Pilot: Sgt. E.G. Robertson  RCAF  KIA

Nav. : Sgt. L.G. Harvie  RCAF  KIA

Bomb Aim.: Sgt. D.H. Kurtz  RCAF  KIA

Wireless Op.: Sgt. H.L. Cox  RAF  KIA

Rear Gun.: Sgt. E.F. Hueston  RCAF  KIA

Crash report

Departed at 23.55h. from his home base in Upper Heyford ,Wellington  HF852 set course to the target Düsseldorf. All went well and the bombs were dropped on target.

Navigator Sgt. Harvie plotted a course for the trip back home over Holland.

By this time the Night fighters based at Venlo were already patrolling the sky. At around 02.20h.   Hptm. Streib (Stab 1./NJG1 )  found Wellington HF852 on his path and immediately shots were fired . The bomber took a direct hit setting the fuel tanks on fire. The crew had no chance. At 02.28h. the fiercely burning Wellington crashed in a field near Elsendorp. None of the five crewmembers survived . All of them were recovered and buried by the Germans.  It was Hptm. Streib his 31^st  claim.

1998

When the farmer was ploughing his field he frequently got stuck on buried pieces of the plane that damaged his machines. During a clean-up of the obstruction some remains came up. There were pieces of the Bristol Pegasus engine ,a complete prop, machineguns ,a wallet etc…

The Recovery team from the Royal Netherlands Air Force was contacted. They collected the ammunition, weapons and large parts. The smaller parts, wallet and prop blade where left and taken care for by a local.

2012

After a tip from local historian B. Ploegmakers (who contacted Ruud Wildekamp ”Documentation group Volkel” and Thijs Hellings “Planehunters” ) about parts of a plane that were still on a farmyard, Ruud and Thijs visited the farmer.

The parts were donated to Thijs for restoration and safekeeping, there were still very recognisable pieces including engine parts and the wallet.

(see news topic  http:/www.planehunters.be/wallet-returning-to-burlington/ )

This triggered  our team to start the investigation for this crash. Several family members were found thanks to Pete and Neil from the 51 Sqn. History Society , and we returned the wallet to Canada.

Taking a closer look on the surface of the crash site we found many tiny parts of the Wellington, being missed by the other recoveries. We collected, cleaned and identified them.

The steering-wheel and parts of the cockpit were pieced together.

We also found a lot of parts from the front turret.

In the wet soil we even found parts of the navigators map

Translated from “crash investigation report nr.20” by Thijs Hellings

For more photo’s take a look at this link

https://skydrive.live.com/?sc=photos&cid=affae4cfa0d105dd#cid=AFFAE4CFA0D105DD&id=AFFAE4CFA0D105DD%213495&sc=photos

Regards Benny

Many thanks to

Bernard Ploegmakers , Ruud Wildekamp, Alex van Bakel , Sjaak Veth , Teus de Rooi , Neil Smith and Peter Gulliver from 51 Sqn. History Society , members of Documentation Group Volkel , Wim Govaerts , Marcel Hogerhuis , Ivors Kops Burlington Library , Jerry Large , Peggy Large , Kathy Yanchus , Sandra Mactaggert ,Planehunters Recoveryteam Benny-Thijs-Max-Marcel-Kris

Benny Ceulaers

Founder,Chairman, Researcher,Detecting,Digger

Thijs Hellings

Vice-Chairman,Researcher,Detecting,Digger  

Mark “Max” Verwimp (left)

Digger, Crane Man  

Kris Vanturnhout (right)

Detecting,Digger

Marcel Hermes

Researcher,Detecting,Digger

Steven Volckaerts

Researcher,Digger

Jan Jacobs (+)

Researcher,Detecting,Digger

It was a very nice expirience

https://skydrive.live.com/?sc=photos&cid=affae4cfa0d105dd#cid=AFFAE4CFA0D105DD&id=AFFAE4CFA0D105DD%214134&sc=photos

Regards Benny

Afther 70 years the wallet returns home,thanks to Thijs ,Bernard Ploegmakers ,51 sqn History Society and the Planehunters team

http://www.insidehalton.com/news/article/1368747–second-world-war-airman-s-wallet-returning-to-burlington

(More about the recovery will be posted very soon by RAF recovery)

email received of the Kurtz family

“The wallet has arrived  Thank you and the people that were involved in find the wallet and the other people that involved in getting to our family.Our deepest appreciation.

The Kurtz family and their off springs”

Regards

Benny