Jump to content
News Ticker
  • I am now accepting the following payment methods: Card Payments, Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal
  • Latest News

    Early 1945 Bomber Command plane crash, Northern Germany


    Recommended Posts

    I am in the process of documenting the history of No. 35 Squadron (non commercial, educational project) and wondered if any further details have emerged regarding this loss since the original postings last year.

    I can confirm that the CWGC records show that the crew were initially buried at Rotenburg Cemetery (Map M4 1/100,000 series Ref. 123027),  although there are no original burial records for Vickery.

    Wilce's POW Liberation Questionnaire shows that he was captured at Wohlsdorf (which is N/E of Rotenburg).

    Any feedback would be much appreciated.

    Regards

    PeteT

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Hello Pete.

    Thank you for updating this posting. From my end nothing could be added. I appreciate that my account was essentially correct so my memory still served me well.

    The Wohlsdorf locale is known to both my wife and me.  Now I wonder how he escaped from the plane? Was it still high enough for crew to use a chute? And that followed by a more severe failure causing the plane to crash? We may never quite know.

    I wish you much success with your endeavor and wish that you would be so kind to advise the interested readership when  your work may be completed and the possibility to view it also.

    Bernhard H. Holst

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    • 2 months later...
    • 10 months later...

    I am in the process of updating the relevant page on my No 35 Squadron website https://35squadron.wordpress.com/world-war-two-years/aircraft-wwii/avro-lancaster/lancaster-incidents-and-losses-1945/avro-lancaster-ng440-tl-c/ and wondered if anyone has photographs of the headstones of Vickery and Ranalow as I would like to include these (along with the photographs of the other headstones) on the page [assuming that this is acceptable]

    Regards

    Pete

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Hello Pete.

    Thank you for posting the additional information. Nightfighter may have possibly caused the downing of this plane or antiaircraft fire, we will never know. But somehow a closing to this one event among uncounted othersis arrived at. Tragically so near to the end of the war.

    Bernhard H. Holst

    Edited by Bernhard H.Holst
    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    I have just printed a book on 70 WWI soldiers from my area who died in that conflict.  One was a pilot cadet who crashed his plane on Nov.9 and died on the 11th, the last day of the war and another was a boy who enlisted underage 3 times  and only got to go to France in July 1918 when he 'officially' turned 19.  I'm not convniced he was 19 even then.  He was part of a regiment marching through Belgian villages being fteted with wine and food, wounded by a stray shell and also died on Amrstice Day. :( 

    All tragic deaths.  Thank you both for caring to remember!

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites

    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now
    ×
    ×
    • Create New...

    Important Information

    We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.