Crash of Short Stirling R9167, Call code OJ-N of 149 Squadron
Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 7:57 pm
Short Stirling R9167 (Call code OJ-N)
149 Squadron A.F.C. R.A.F.
Date: October 2nd 1942 at 21.34h
Place of crash: Bedelaarspad at Kronenberg (Municipality Sevenum, The Netherlands)
Aircraft: Short Stirling Mk1 Reg.nr. R9167, Code OJ-N
Airfield UK: Lakenheath
Target: Krefeld
Cause of the crash: Shot down by Hauptmann Hans Dieter Frank, 1st Nachtjagdgeschwader Venlo ( 1/NJG1) flying a Messerschmidt Bf110
On October 2, 1942 a four-engine British bomber crashed on a plot of farmland owned by the Pijpers family along a road called Bedelaarspad to Kronenberg (municipality Sevenum) All seven crew members died in the crash. The bomber (Type Short Stirling Mk1) was on its way from Lakenheath (Suffolk England) to Krefeld in Germany when he was shot down by a German night fighter. Local residents rushed immediately after the crash to the wreck, and found the corpses of some crew members. Moments later it was discovered that one was still alive. He layed severely wounded in the field and pointed constantly to the ring on his left ring finger which was already swollen. One of the spectators managed to get the ring off of his finger. Soon afterwards the Germans appeared and they forced the people back. The unknown soldier died before he could be transported to hospital in Venlo. After the war the names of the crew members were found. The only one who was still alive after the crash of the Stirling proved to be sergeant E.L Moore (tail gunner). The ring was sent shortly after the liberation sent to his family. The crew was temporarily buried in Venlo but were all reburied in 1947 at 'Jonkerbos' in Nijmegen.
CREW:
1 Squadron Leader Pilot: William Roy Greenslade, R.A.F. (DFC-AFC-MiD)
(Youngstown Alberta, Canada) Age 25.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.3 Nijmegen – The Netherlands (Contact found with family)
2 Flight Sergeant Air Gunner: William Orange, R.A.F.
(Bedlington Morpeth-UK) Age 27.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.8 Nijmegen – The Netherlands (Contact found with family)
3 Sergeant Flight Engineer: Marshal Kenneth Smith R.A.F.
(Cambridge-UK) Age 21.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.6 Nijmegen – The Netherlands
4 Sergeant Wireless Op./Air Gunner: Frederick Leonard Hughes R.A.F.
(Shoreditch, London-UK) Age 21.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.7 Nijmegen – The Netherlands
5 Sergeant Wireless Op./Air Gunner: Ernest Leslie Moore R.A.F.
(Leicester-UK) Age 20.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.4 Nijmegen – The Netherlands (Contact found with family/friends)
6 Sergeant Air Gunner: Benjamin Frederick Goldsmith R.A.F.
(Prestwick Lancashire-UK) Age 22.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.5 Nijmegen – The Netherlands
7 Flight Sergeant Air Observer Robert Francis McIntyre R.C.A.F.
(Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) Age 25.
Jonkersbos War Cemetery 20.D.9 Nijmegen – The Netherlands
Now 75 years later on October 7th of this year a memorial will be unveiled on the spot of the crash to honour these brave men who lost their lives for our liberty.
Twelve Family members op squadron leader William Roy Greenslade, amongst them his youngest brother, two family members of William Orange and two good friends of Ernest Moore's parents will attend the unveiling.
The organising “Dorpsraad” (Village Council) of Kronenberg is expecting a great interest for the unveiling. It will be a ceremony attended by military attachees from Britain, Canada and The Netherlands. local authorities and eye whitnesses, There will National Hymnes being played, there will be a poppydropping and a fly by by two ancient aircrafts (missing man)
an honour guard by veterans and the children from Kronenberg Primary School.
We are still looking for families of the crew, photos of the crew and aircraft and stories about these brave men.
Please contact therefor Piet Snellen at pietsnellen@hotmail.nl
149 Squadron A.F.C. R.A.F.
Date: October 2nd 1942 at 21.34h
Place of crash: Bedelaarspad at Kronenberg (Municipality Sevenum, The Netherlands)
Aircraft: Short Stirling Mk1 Reg.nr. R9167, Code OJ-N
Airfield UK: Lakenheath
Target: Krefeld
Cause of the crash: Shot down by Hauptmann Hans Dieter Frank, 1st Nachtjagdgeschwader Venlo ( 1/NJG1) flying a Messerschmidt Bf110
On October 2, 1942 a four-engine British bomber crashed on a plot of farmland owned by the Pijpers family along a road called Bedelaarspad to Kronenberg (municipality Sevenum) All seven crew members died in the crash. The bomber (Type Short Stirling Mk1) was on its way from Lakenheath (Suffolk England) to Krefeld in Germany when he was shot down by a German night fighter. Local residents rushed immediately after the crash to the wreck, and found the corpses of some crew members. Moments later it was discovered that one was still alive. He layed severely wounded in the field and pointed constantly to the ring on his left ring finger which was already swollen. One of the spectators managed to get the ring off of his finger. Soon afterwards the Germans appeared and they forced the people back. The unknown soldier died before he could be transported to hospital in Venlo. After the war the names of the crew members were found. The only one who was still alive after the crash of the Stirling proved to be sergeant E.L Moore (tail gunner). The ring was sent shortly after the liberation sent to his family. The crew was temporarily buried in Venlo but were all reburied in 1947 at 'Jonkerbos' in Nijmegen.
CREW:
1 Squadron Leader Pilot: William Roy Greenslade, R.A.F. (DFC-AFC-MiD)
(Youngstown Alberta, Canada) Age 25.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.3 Nijmegen – The Netherlands (Contact found with family)
2 Flight Sergeant Air Gunner: William Orange, R.A.F.
(Bedlington Morpeth-UK) Age 27.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.8 Nijmegen – The Netherlands (Contact found with family)
3 Sergeant Flight Engineer: Marshal Kenneth Smith R.A.F.
(Cambridge-UK) Age 21.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.6 Nijmegen – The Netherlands
4 Sergeant Wireless Op./Air Gunner: Frederick Leonard Hughes R.A.F.
(Shoreditch, London-UK) Age 21.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.7 Nijmegen – The Netherlands
5 Sergeant Wireless Op./Air Gunner: Ernest Leslie Moore R.A.F.
(Leicester-UK) Age 20.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.4 Nijmegen – The Netherlands (Contact found with family/friends)
6 Sergeant Air Gunner: Benjamin Frederick Goldsmith R.A.F.
(Prestwick Lancashire-UK) Age 22.
Jonkerbos War Cemetery 20.D.5 Nijmegen – The Netherlands
7 Flight Sergeant Air Observer Robert Francis McIntyre R.C.A.F.
(Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada) Age 25.
Jonkersbos War Cemetery 20.D.9 Nijmegen – The Netherlands
Now 75 years later on October 7th of this year a memorial will be unveiled on the spot of the crash to honour these brave men who lost their lives for our liberty.
Twelve Family members op squadron leader William Roy Greenslade, amongst them his youngest brother, two family members of William Orange and two good friends of Ernest Moore's parents will attend the unveiling.
The organising “Dorpsraad” (Village Council) of Kronenberg is expecting a great interest for the unveiling. It will be a ceremony attended by military attachees from Britain, Canada and The Netherlands. local authorities and eye whitnesses, There will National Hymnes being played, there will be a poppydropping and a fly by by two ancient aircrafts (missing man)
an honour guard by veterans and the children from Kronenberg Primary School.
We are still looking for families of the crew, photos of the crew and aircraft and stories about these brave men.
Please contact therefor Piet Snellen at pietsnellen@hotmail.nl