Halifax EB 207 / NA-B: crashsite located....

[Karacho]

hello gentlemen,

some news from the german ARBEITSGEMEINSCHAFT-VERMISSTENFORSCHUNG, Uwe Benkel :

in september 2014 Chris Hoyle from England made a request to Uwe Benkel about the Handley-Page Halifax EB 207, searching informations to the crew and crashsite in germany.
The AG-Vermisstenforschung/germany starts a search-operation about the aircraft, crew and crashsite-location.
When all these informations were done, Uwe give it to mr. Chris Hoyle in England. Chris Hoyle is a family-member from the crew-member Peter Flowers / Radio-Operater from EB 207 .
On saturday, 27th of september, four family-members, Chris and son Jonathan and older brother John with son Benjamin meets the AG-Vermisstenforschung in the little village Kötterichen / Eifel. ( Uwe Benkel, Nico Fuhrmann and Rene Karassek )
First we met in the major-house of Kötterichen and speaking about the crew, aircraft and the crash from EB 207.
After that we all visit a small museum in Uersfeld, then we visit the crashsite near Kötterichen, in a small forest.
We detect the crashsite again and found some more Duralparts,rests of incendiary-bombs, some textil-rest and emty bullets....
On the crash-crater a still moment to remember the crew !
At least we visit the Uersfeld-cemetery, were the crew was buried after crash in 1943.......
The Hoyle-family thanks Uwe Benkel and his crew for the good work about informations and located the crashsite...
Before leaving in the evening Nico Furmann ( AG ) gives more wreckparts and textil-rests, etc... to the Hoyle-family...
Another chapter of a bomber-crew is closed....

the dates to aircraft and crash :
Halifax EB 207 / NA-B starts on 23.9.1943 from Middleton-St. George to a bomb-mission to Mannheim / germany.
On the way to Mannheim a Me 110-nightfighter from 3. NJG 6 opened fire to the Halifax south-west of Mayen, 22.39 uhr / 5.000 mtrs.
The german pilot was Oblt. M.H. Hadeball
The Halifax was on fire and goes slowly down..., before crashing in a forest near Kötterichen the crew drop out an air-mine of two tons ( a part of the bombload ).....the detonation burst all windows in Kötterichen....told from an eyewitness.
The aircraft explodet by the impact....all crewmembers died.

the aircraft:
Handley Page Halifax MK 5
EB 207 / NA-B
428.th Sqdr / Ghost

The crew:
Pilot: William A. Hadden ( RCAF )
mech.: Josef Curran
Navi.:Alexander F.H. Morris
Bomb.: Sydney A. Whitby
Radio.: Peter J. Flower ( Chris Hoyle is a family-member from Peter Flower )
Gunner-top: Clifford W. Renwick ( RCAF )
tail-gunner: Archibald Yuill

the crew were buried in Uersfeld after crash and concentrated to Rheinberg-War-Cemetery after war: Coll. grave 9. K. 8-11.

We still remember the crew and their family´s

greets Karacho

[Karacho]

part two from EB 207....: more pics

greets
Karacho

[K4KittyCrew]

Great work, Karacho.................... many thanks for your details and images.
Please thank all those who contributed to the cause.
Cheers,
John ( k4kittycrew)

[Karacho]

Hello ,

from the german newspaper Trier Volksfreund....
greets
Karacho