Date: 14th February 1943
Unit: No. 15 Squadron
Type: Stirling I
Serial: BF448
Coded: LS-T
Location: Helchteren (Limburg)
Pilot: F/lt. Owen Cecil Chave 82955 (R.A.F.V.R) Aged; 30, Killed
Co. Pilot: Sgt. Lewis Lee Gladwin R/103897 (R.C.A.F.) Age; 21, Killed
Flt/Eng: Sgt. James Falshaw Cook 524567 (R.A.F.) Age; 34, Killed
Nav: P/O. William Alexander McClean Archibald 125650 (R.A.F.V.R.) Killed
Air/Bmr: Sgt. Alfred Arthur Self 1449163 (R.A.F.V.R.) Age; 21, Killed
W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. John Neville Macmillan Muir 124744 (R.A.F.V.R.) Age; 25, Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Thomas Frederick Stocks 1544089 (R.A.F.V.R.) Age; 19, Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. James Ernest Nicholls (R.A.F.V.R.) Age; 19, Killed
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off at 1825 hrs from Bourn. Shot down by a night fighter flown by Ofw. Fritz Schellwat from 5./NGJ1 and crashed at Helchteren (Limburg) which is 14 Km NNE of Hasselt, Belgium.
All were buried on the 17th February at St. Truiden, though their graves are now located at Heverlee War Cemetery.
In the Luftwaffe's recovery report here, it is noted that two swastikas had been painted beneath the F in the serial.
Fl/Lt Chave had been a keen poet and many were published in "Punch" magazine during the war years, another was published in "The Empire Review" and one was published in the "RAF Quarterly". A selection of his poetry was also published in a small booklet titled "Winged Victory" "Poems of a Flight Lieutenant. (See below and sample poem)
A copy of some of these poems maybe available by contacting us. (subject to permission being granted from the relatives)
Copy of the M.O.D. grave notification to the family can be read HERE.
Christopher Chave (Son of the pilot) has received further information regarding the crash and with the great help from our German researcher Rüdiger Kaufmann, we have managed to have various documents translated into English. These will be up on the site as soon as we have managed to put them together and added to this article.
F/lt. Owen Cecil Chave
"Winged Victory" Poems of a Flight Lieutenant and "Passing of a Hurricane" One of the many great poems written by Owen Chave
Simply - a superb memorial (sent to us by Christopher Chave)
Burial details:
F/lt. Owen Cecil Chave Heverlee War Cemetery Coll. grave 10. E. 2-8.
Son of Sir Benjamin Chave, K.B.E., and of Lady Chave (nee Morgan), of Highfield, Southampton; husband of Joan Chave (nee Sanders).
Sgt. Lewis Lee Gladwin Heverlee War Cemetery Coll. grave 10. E. 2-8
Son of Lewis Casson Gladwin and Aletta Louise Gladwin, of Saunders, Alberta, Canada.
Sgt. James Falshaw Cook Heverlee War Cemetery Coll. grave 10. E. 2-8
Son of James Falshaw Cook and Catherine Jane Cook; husband of Barbara Cook, of Hunstanworth, Co. Durham.
P/O. William Alexander McClean Archibald Heverlee War Cemetery Coll. grave 10. E. 2-8
No other details (to date)
Sgt. Alfred Arthur Self Heverlee War Cemetery Coll. grave 10. E. 2-8
Son of Arthur James Self and Winifred Mary Self, of Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.
P/O. John Neville Macmillan Muir Heverlee War Cemetery Coll. grave 10. E. 2-8
Son of David Macmillan Muir, and of Lilian Maude Muir, of Elham, Kent.
Sgt. Thomas Frederick Stocks Heverlee War Cemetery Coll. grave 10. E. 2-8
Son of Thomas Frederick and Catherine Stocks, of Penwortham, Preston, Lancashire.
Sgt. James Ernest Nicholls Heverlee War Cemetery Coll. grave 10. E. 2-8
Son of James Ernest and Hilda Nicholls; husband of Mary E. Nicholls, of Newtownards, Co. Down, Northern Ireland
The Aircrew Remembrance Society acknowledge the kind assistance of Christopher Chave, son of the pilot F/lt. Owen Cecil Chave, for the supply of the photographs and the book of poems. With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol 3", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The C.W.G.C.
