Lancaster Crash Site • Coveney

Fields adjacent to Hale Fen Farm, Coveney.

On 18th April 1944 26 aircraft from 115 Squadron took off from RAF Witchford for a night bombing raid on rail yards in Rouen, France. None of the aircraft were lost during the raid itself, but two were targeted and downed by a German ME 410 night fighter, likely flown by Hptm Dietrich Puttfarken, on their return. 

Avro Lancaster LL667 KO-R came down in this remote field, with the loss of all crew.  In 1996 the Coveney crash site was excavated and one of the engines recovered. It is on display at the RAF Witchford museum. Roughly ///intervene.having.quieter

The crew lost on LL667 KO-R were:

Pilot Officer John Birnie (173326) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Aged 20. Buried St Mary's Church, Gosforth

Sergeant John Ferguson (1591340) Flight Engineer - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Aged 19. Buried Kendal Cemetery.

Flight Sergeant David Lloyd Jones (975131) Navigator - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.  Aged 30. Buried in Aberystwyth Cemetery

Sergeant Ernest Kerwin (1540856) Wireless Operator - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Aged 30. Buried Cambridge City Cemetery.

Pilot Officer Arnold Lepine Feldman (J92605) Bomb Aimer - Royal Canadian Air Force . Aged 27. Buried Cambridge City Cemetery.

Sergeant William James MacMillan (R209012) Mid Upper Gunner - Royal Canadian Air Force. Aged 19. Buried Brookwood Military Cemetery, Surrey

Sergeant George Edward Bailey (1868473) Gunner - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Aged 23. Buried St Margaret's Church, Rainham

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The second aircraft LL867 A4-J crashed near Common Farm, Witchford. Exact spot unknown to me.

The crew lost on LL867 A4-J were:

Flight Lieutenant Charles Eddie MBE (39003) Pilot - Royal New Zealand Air Force. Aged 29. Buried Cambridge City Cemetery.

Sergeant William Leslie Murphy (2206546) Flight Engineer - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Buried West Derby Cemetery, Liverpool.

Flying Officer Albert Smith (132712) Navigator - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Buried Queensbury Cemetery, Yorkshire.

Flight Sergeant Peter John Maddox (1334594) Wireless Operator - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Aged 22. Buried Northwood Cemetery, Cowes

Flight Sergeant Harold George Pugh (658462) Bomb Aimer - Royal Air Force. Aged 24. Buried St St Martin's, Hindringham. 

Sergeant Alfred Frank Langridge (18127110) Mid Upper Gunner - Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Aged 32. Buried Mitcham Road Cemetery, Croydon

Warrant Officer II Henry Bennis (R178351) Rear Gunner - Royal Canadian Air Force. Aged 22. Buried Cambridge City Cemetery

In Coveney church there is a plaque to the crews of both planes that crashed that night. 

PER ARDUA AD ASTRA

MAY THEY ALL REST IN PEACE  

Flight Sergeant E.B.Wilcox • Burwell

Flight Sergeant Ernest Burton Wilcox

Royal Air Force (150 Squadron) 

Wireless Operator/Air Gunner

Vickers Wellington IC R1044

On 27th May 1941 orders were received for three aircraft to carry out an attack on the channel port of Boulogne. At 0130 on 28th they took off at three minute intervals from RAF Newton. 

Two of the aircraft released bombs over the target area and a third, Wilcox's Wellington, bombed an alternative target of Ostend. 

On the return to base the aircraft ran into low cloud. It was trying to ascertain it's position when it crashed into a hillside 4 miles from Leicester. The aircraft broke in two on impact and the front section caught fire. 

Five members of the crew were killed, including Flt Sgt Wilcox. One member of the crew, Rear Gunner Sgt Edmunds, escaped with only minor injuries. 

Wilcox is buried Burwell Cemetery, Cambridgeshire 

His headstone bears the inscription 

"AT THE RISING AND GOING DOWN OF THE SUN 

WE WILL REMEMBER THEM"

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