550 Squadron Memorials

Introduction

Listed below, by country, are the known memorials to 550 Squadron crews.

UK

Memorial Window

550 Squadron Memorial Window in St Denys' Church, North Killingholme. A description of the Memorial Window is available here.

The photographs above were kindly made available by Richard E Flagg (Copyright 1990 - 2018). See http://www.ukairfields.org.uk/.

Memorial Stone, North Killingholme

550 Squadron Memorial Stone in North Killingholme. Unveiled in 1982.

550 Squadron Memorial Stone, Lancaster Approach, North Killingholme

Runnymede Memorial

The RAF Memorial at Runnymede commemorates all of the RAF servicemen lost in World War II who have no known resting place, and there are many 550 Squadron airmen remembered on the walls there.

RAF Memorial, Runnymede

Brookwood Military Cemetery

Two 550 Squadron crewmen, both RCAF, are buried in the Brookwood Military Cemetery.

Brookwood Military Cemetery Royal Air Force Shelter

International Bomber Command Centre, Lincoln

The highly impressive International Bomber Command Centre in Lincoln lists on its Walls of Names nearly 58,000 men and women who were killed serving or supporting Bomber Command during World War Two. The Association organised two "preview" visits to the site when it was under construction and as well as a "550" wreath, many members of the Association, and relatives of aircrew have left poppies for those with whom they have a connection.

International Bomber Command Centre

Ellingstring, Yorkshire

25/06/2017

Memorial to 550 Squadron Crew in Ellingstring. Unveiled in June 2017.

The F/O Hayter crew of NF963 were on a training flight on 4th October 1944 when their aircraft crashed. All of the crew, with the exception of the pilot Stan Hayter, were killed.

A memorial plaque was unveiled on the 24th June 2017 in the presence of relatives of the crewmen. A short service was conducted by the RAF Leeming/100 Sqdn Padre.

Memorial to F/O Hayter and crew of NF963 For information about the crew click here

Methodist Chapel, Rawtenstall (Longholme), Lancashire

05/07/2021

Memorial plaque to Sgt F Turner (F/Eng) of the W/O Collier crew of LM301 For information about the crew click here

Rimswell, East Riding of Yorkshire

04/02/2023

Memorial to 550 Squadron Crew in Rimswell, East Riding of Yorkshire.

The F/O A C Lockyer crew of NG132 were shot down, while on a training exercise, by an intruder (Fw Rudi Morenz from 1V.NJG2) over the Humber estuary 17 March 1945. All of the crew, with the exception of the flight engineer Sgt Drawbridge, were killed. This was the last Bomber Command aircraft to be shot down over the UK in WWII.

Memorial to F/O Lockyer and crew of NG132 For information about the crew click here

Fulstow Bridge, Lincolnshire

31/12/2023

Memorial to two 550 Squadron Crews lost on Christmas Eve 1943 at Fulstow Bridge, Louth Canal, Lincolnshire. A ceremony was held to remember the crew 80 years to the day after their loss.

Memorial to Sgt HFJ Woods crew (of ED730) and F/Sgt WR Cooper crew (of ND327) For information about the Sgt Woods crew click here For information about the F/Sgt Cooper crew click here

550 Squadron Crash/Memorial Sites: Europe Map

All of the 550 Squadron crash sites in Belgium, Denmark, France and The Netherlands, for which there is a memorial on or near the crash site, are shown in the map below (annotated map kindly provided by Wilfred Burie of the Rebecq Association).

Belgium

All of the RAF crash sites in Belgium, and associated memorials, are being recorded in a database, see: http://www.belgians-remember-them.eu/.

All of the 550 Squadron crash sites in Belgium (six in total), and all of which now have a memorial on or near the crash site, are shown in the map below. All six crash sites are remembered in an additional panel that was added to the Memorial in Rebecq in 2014.

Berinzenne Memorial

03/08/2013 20/10/2013

F/O Milburn and the crew of ME581 lost their lives during the night of 22/23 April 1944 when their plane was shot down by a night-fighter while returning from a bombing mission over Dusseldorf, crashing 10 km S of Verviers in Belgium.

ME581 Memorial in the Fagnes (fens) of Berinzenne Memorial to the crew of ME581 For photos of the commemoration click here For information about the crew click here

Jalhay Memorial

09/07/2013 20/10/2013 10/04/2016

The F/Sgt Jeffries crew of LM425 was lost during the night of 30/31 March 1944 when their plane was on a bombing mission to Nuermburg.

Four of the crew were killed and the remaining three became PoWs.

LM425 Memorial at Jalhay, near Liege Formally unveiled by the British Ambassador to Belgium, 9th April 2016 Memorial to the crew of LM425 For photos of the commemoration click here For information about the crew click here

Lichtervelde Memorial

04/06/2017 12/09/2017

The P/O McCrae crew of LL810/BQ-K was lost during the night of 27/28 May 1944 when their plane was on a bombing mission to Aachen.

There were no survivors and the crew are all buried in Wevelgem Communal Cemetery.

LL810 Memorial at Lichtervelde Formally unveiled 28th May 2017 Memorial to the crew of LL810 For photos of the commemoration click here For information about the crew click here

Rebecq

15/06/2014

P/O E C Purney and the crew of JA712 were shot down by a German night-fighter during the night of 27/28 May 1944 when they were coming back from a bombing mission over Aachen. The aircraft crashed at Rebecq-Rognon (Brabant), 25 km SW of Brussels.

Rebecq Memorial: A memorial to JA712 and the local residents who paid a heavy price for helping Formally unveiled 7 May 2011 Memorial to the crew of JA712 For photos of the commemoration click here For information about the crew click here See also the The Rebecq Project

Sint Niklaas Memorial

03/06/2018

The P/O Dukelow crew of LL851/BQ-V was lost over Belgium on 21/21 May 1944 on the operation to Duisburg Duisburg.

There were no survivors and the crew are all buried in Sint Niklaas Communal Cemetery.

LL851 Memorial Plaque at Sint Niklaas, Belgium Formally unveiled May 2018 Memorial to the crew of LL851 For photos of the commemorations click here For information about the crew click here

Westerlo

15/06/2014

F/Sgt G W Hinde and the crew of DV309 lost their lives on the Duisburg operation on 21/22 May 1944. Their plane was shot down on the outskirts of Westerlo, Belgium.

Westerlo, Belgium. Photographs taken at the May 2014 commemoration service Memorial to the crew of DV309 For photos of the commemoration click here For information about the crew click here

Denmark

W/O W H S Ansel and the crew of EE193 lost their lives on the Stettin operation on 29/30 August 1944.

Their plane was lost over the Baltic, and the body of only one crew member, F/Sgt Battersby, was recovered. F/Sgt Battersby is buried at Reerso Churchyard (9 km WSW from Gorlev in Denmark).

Memorial to "English Flyer", F/Sgt Battersby Entry on the 550 Squadron Roll of Honour: EE193 For information about the crew click here To read more about him and the crew see the following external links: https://www.airmen.dk/e777274.htm http://www.rvremembrance.info/index.php/raf/item/676-battersby-geoffrey-wilkinson.html?highlight=WyJiYXR0ZXJzYnkiXQ== Picture (left) from the CWGC web-site (Geoffrey Wilkinson Battersby)

The remainder of the crew are remembered at Runnymede Memorial (above).

The Netherlands

ME840 Crew Memorials

S/Ldr G S Smith DFC and crew were lost when 550 Squadron Lancaster ME840 failed to return on 16/17 June 1944 from an operation to Sterkrade (one of three 550 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation: see also LM134 and LL747).

Six of the crew were killed, one, Roy Kay, evaded capture and was able to make his way back to the UK with the help of the Dutch Resistance.

Oude IJsselstreek

10/06/2018

ME840 Memorial Plaque in Oude IJsselstreek, The Netherlands Formally unveiled June 2018 Memorial to the crew of ME840 For photos of the commemorations click here For information about the crew click here

Barlo

Memorial to F/O L Pulfrey of ME840 For information about the crew click here

Rhenen

17/06/2016 02/07/2024

F/O D F Neilson and crew were lost when Lancaster LM134 failed to return on 16/17 June 1944 from an operation to Sterkrade (one of three 550 Lancasters lost on this operation: see also ME840 and LL747).

All of the crew were killed, and as this included the second pilot (W/O Murray) and Squadron Bombing Leader F/Lt McConnell (who was flying as a stand-in for the usual bomb-aimer) this meant the loss of eight men of the squadron.

Rhenen Memorial Inauguration of a memorial to F/O D F Neilson and crew of LM134. Memorial unveiled 17 June 2016 Relatives visit to the memorial June 2024 For photos of the commemoration click here For information about the crew click here

Westerbeek

F/O R G Nye and the crew of PD221 lost their lives on 3/4 February 1945 on a raid to the Prosper benzol plant at Bottrop north of Essen in the Ruhr when their aircraft was shot down by a night-figher and crashed near Westerbeek (Noord-Brabant).

The crew were all buried in Oploo (Westerbeek) Roman Catholic Cemetery.

Memorial Westerbeek, Noord-Brabant, The Netherlands [Picture from: http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westerbeek_(dorp)] Memorial to F/O Nye and crew of PD221 For photos of the commemorations click here For information about the crew click here

France

Achiet-Le-Petit

09/10/2018

F/Lt Picton DFC and crew failed to return in Lancaster LL836 when it was lost on the 10/11 April 1944 on an operation to Aulnoye.

All of the crew were killed.

Memorial Plaque Inauguration of memorial plaque in memory of F/Lt Picton DFC and crew of LL836 - unveiled 2018 For photos of the commemorations click here For information about the crew click here

Artolsheim

04/05/2014

F/Lt Crawford and crew were lost when 550 Squadron Lancaster LM392 failed to return on 15/16 March 1944 from an operation to Stuttgart (one of two 550 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation: see also LL852).

All of the crew were killed.

Artolsheim Memorial Inauguration of a memorial to F/Lt J S G Crawford and crew of LM392 - unveiled 12 April 2014 For photos of the commemoration click here For information about the crew click here

Blamont

25/07/2016 21/07/2019

F/O P M Roche and crew were lost when 550 Squadron Lancaster LM455 failed to return on 28/29 July 1944 from an operation to Stuttgart (one of two 550 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation: see also NE164).

All of the crew were killed.

Memorial to F/O Roche and crew of LM455 For information about the crew click here

Bussy La Cote

21/07/2019

W/Cmdr Connolly and crew were lost when 550 Squadron Lancaster when LL837 was lost on the raid on Revigny, 14 Jul 1944 with the Squadron Commanding Officer W/Cmdr P E C C Connolly piloting.

All of the crew were killed and are buried in the cemetary of the church in Bussy La Cote.

Memorial W/Cmdr Connolly and crew of LL837 For information about the crew click here

Fleville

23/05/2011

Two members of the F/O A W L Lohrey crew, in 550 Lancaster RA502, lost their lives on 1 February 1945 while returning from a raid on Ludwigshaven.

Both men are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial; there is a memorial to the crew in Fleville, France.

Fleville, France Now including the story of the discovery of the wreck of RA502 and the painstaking investigation that followed which culminated in the raising of a memorial in honour of the aircrew lost.

04/05/2014

Fleville Memorial - visited 11 April 2014 For photos of the commemoration click here For information about the crew click here

Ottrott

29/07/2016 28/07/2018

F/O H Jones and crew were lost when 550 Squadron Lancaster NE164 failed to return on 28/29 July 1944 from an operation to Stuttgart (one of two 550 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation: see also LM455).

Of the crew two were killed in the crash, one was murdered on the ground, three became PoWs and one evaded capture.

Memorial to F/O Jones and crew of NE164 For photos of the memorial click here For information about the crew click here

Sondernach

04/05/2014

F/Lt J F Craig and crew failed to return in 550 Squadron Lancaster LL852 when it was lost on 15/16 Mar 1944 on operations to Stuttgart (one of two 550 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation, see also LM392).

Six of the crew were killed, one became a PoW.

Sondernach Memorial Inauguration of a panel in memory of F/Lt J F Craig DFC and crew of LL852 - unveiled 13 April 2014 For photos of the commemoration click here For information about the crew click here

Other Memorials (UK)

Listed below are links to a number of memorials (UK), some are 550 Squadron specific, some are specific to Lincolnshire and others are RAF Bomber Command in general.

Australia

RAAF Memorial, Canberra

06/11/2022

This Australian National Memorial to the RAAF is not strictly a 550 Squadron memorial, but many members of 550 Squadron served with the RAAF so it seems appropriate to include a few photos taken by members of the Association during their visits to the site.

RAAF Memorial at the Australian National Memorial, Canberra

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