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.

Memorial Window

Memorial Window

Memorial Window

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.

Memorial Stone, 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, Runneymede RAF Memorial, Runnymede

Brookwood Military Cemetery

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

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.

IBCC International Bomber Command Centre

Ellingstring, Yorkshire

new25/06/2017

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

new05/07/2021
- 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

new04/02/2023

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

new31/12/2023

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).

550 Sqdn Europe Crash Sites

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.

550 Sqdn Belgian Crash Sites

Berinzenne Memorial

updated03/08/2013 updated20/10/2013

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.

Memorial550Sq 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

new09/07/2013 updated20/10/2013 updated10/04/2016

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.

Memorial550Sq 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

new04/06/2017 updated12/09/2017

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.

Memorial550Sq 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

updated15/06/2014

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.

RebecqMonument 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

new03/06/2018

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.

Sint Niklaas, May 2018 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

updated15/06/2014

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, May 2014 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

new10/06/2018
Memorial550Sq 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

Memorial550Sq Memorial to F/O L Pulfrey of ME840

For information about the crew click here

Rhenen

new17/06/2016

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.

Memorial550Sq Rhenen Memorial
Inauguration of a memorial to F/O D F Neilson and crew of LM134 - unveiled 17 June 2016

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

new09/10/2018

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.

Memorial550Sq 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

new04/05/2014

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.

Memorial550Sq 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

new25/07/2016 updated21/07/2019

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.

Memorial550Sq Memorial to F/O Roche and crew of LM455
For information about the crew click here

Bussy La Cote

new21/07/2019

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.

Memorial550Sq Memorial W/Cmdr Connolly and crew of LL837
For information about the crew click here

Fleville

updated23/05/2011

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.
updated04/05/2014
Memorial550Sq Fleville Memorial - visited 11 April 2014

For photos of the commemoration click here
For information about the crew click here

Ottrott

new29/07/2016 updated28/07/2018

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.

Memorial550Sq Memorial to F/O Jones and crew of NE164

For photos of the memorial click here

For information about the crew click here

Sondernach

new04/05/2014

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.

Memorial550Sq 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.

URLDescription
http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~englin/K/killingholme_churchhist.htm 550 Squadron memorial stained glass windows in St. Denys' Church, North Killingholme
http://www.wartimememories.co.uk/airfields/northkillingholme.html The Wartime Memories Project - North Killingholme
http://www.eebo.freeserve.co.uk/rafmem.htm#Killingholme Lincolnshire memorials
http://www.raf-lincolnshire.info/
http://www.raf-lincolnshire.info/nkillingholme/nkillingholme.htm
http://www.raf-lincolnshire.info/550sqn/550sqn.htm
http://www.raf-lincolnshire.info/550sqn/550sqnmemorials.htm
http://www.raf-lincolnshire.info/nkillingholme/nkillingholmephotos.htm
RAF Lincolnshire, RAF and Airfield History in Lincolnshire
North Killingholme
550 Squadron specific information
550 Squadron memorials
North Killingholme photos

Australia

RAAF Memorial, Canberra

new06/11/2022

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.

Australian National Memorial RAAF Memorial at the Australian National Memorial, Canberra