Date: 21/22nd June 1944
Unit: No. 50 Squadron
Type: Lancaster I
Serial: LL840
Code: VN-M
Base: Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire
Location: Oene, Holland
Pilot : S/Ldr. Thomas Bernard Cole 104459 R.A.F.V.R. P.O.W. No: 6497 Stalag Luft 3 Sagan and Belaria
Fl/Eng: Fl/Sgt. Kenneth Herschel Callender Ingram 1400819 R.A.F.V.R. Evaded capture Age 21. (1)
Nav: F/O. Jack Craven D.F.C. 127012 R.A.F.V.R. Evaded capture and returned to England.
Air/Bmr: Fl/Sgt. A.G. Beresford R.A.F.V.R. P.O.W. No: 291 Stalag Luft 7 Bankau-Kreulberg
W/Op/Air/Gnr: P/O. Eric James Blakemore 169156 R.A.F.V.R. Evaded capture and returned to England.
W/Op/Air/Gnr: W/O. John Frederick Lane 1376435 R.A.F.V.R. Age 22. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Frederick Henry Shorter 1880037 R.A.F.V.R. Age 24. Killed
Air/Gnr: Sgt. Paul F. Hayes R.A.F.V.R. P.O.W. No: 221 Stalag Luft 7 Bankau-Kreulberg
REASON FOR LOSS:
Took off from Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire at 23.17 hrs. to attack the synthetic oil plants at Scholven-Buer. 123 Lancaster's and 9 Mosquitoes took part but the target was cloud covered and the pathfinders used Oboe sky marking. The post raid photographs showed no new damage (Area had been previously bombed) but secret German reports revealed a 20% loss of production.
9 aircraft was lost on this raid - 43 aircrew were killed and another 13 made P.O.W's. 7 being shot down by German night fighters including LL840, although no claims have been made to this loss. Another (Lancaster III 97 Squadron ND451 OF-L) was shot down by flak and crashed near Grieth, Germany, Lancaster I LL971 PO-N from 467 Squadron is also thought to have been shot down by flak and crashed on the Dutch / German border.
(1) Later caught, along with a member of the U.S.A.A.F. and six resistance fighters - all were shot by the Gestapo without a trial on the 2nd October 1944.
Sister ship to LL840 from 50 Squadron (A.R. Society Archive)
Above left: Fl/Sgt. Ingram. Right: Sgt. Shorter (A.R. Society Archive)
Top left: Jan Kiesbrink and Teunis Nooteboom. Right: Michael Allman and his wife who painted the picture for presentation to the two Dutch researcher's shown below. (Courtesy Michael Allman)
The superb memorial to the crew. (Courtesy Michael Allman)
Two Dutch researchers - Jan Kiesbrink and Teunis Nooteboom found the crash site and erected a memorial on behalf of the crew relatives. Sadly not all the relatives could be traced and we would like to appeal for the relatives of the following: S/Ldr. Cole, F/O. Craven D.F.C., P/O. Blakemore, W/O. Lane, Sgt.Hayes to contact us in order that they can be informed of the memorial. The researchers have also written a book about this loss and memorial with information received from people who lived in the area at the time of the crash.
This is available from "HERE". Or simply contact us. The publication is hard back and 197 pages - in Dutch only at the moment.
Michael Allman has played a large part in the tracing of these crew members and should be congratulated on his efforts to date.
Fly past during the unveiling (Courtesy Michael Allman)
We would like any relative or friend with any information regardless how little to contact us regarding this loss - in order to inform them about this fantastic memorial erected by our Dutch friends.
Burial details:
Fl/Sgt. Kenneth Herschel Callender Ingram Apeldoorn (Ugchelen-Heidehof Plot 4. Grave 299
Son of Herschell Frank and Elizabeth Ingram, of Fratton, Portsmouth.
W/O. John Frederick Lane EPE Cemetery Plot 2. Row 10. Grave 705
Son of Frederick Manuel and Gertrude Amy Lane, of Battersea, London.
Sgt. Frederick Henry Shorter EPE Cemetery Plot 2. Row 10. Grave 704
Son of John and Matilda Catherine Shorter, of Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
Researched by: Various parties in order to trace missing relatives.
With thanks to the following: Bill Chorley - "Bomber Command Losses Vol 3", Theo Boiten - "German Nightfighter War Diaries Vol 2", Martin Middlebrook "Bomber Command War Diaries". The Commonwealth Graves Commission.
