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Welcome on the website of the Friends of 115 Squadron, Belgium
Our aim as a small group of local amateur historians:
History – We wish to search and pass historical information, to try to link up to the future in a digital area, that way preserving and applying new found data in an effort to complied history’s unspoken answers.
Respect – We cannot pay more tribute to them who have fallen, than to pay respect for them. In our research, we always respect the family's wishes and also the privacy of those who are left behind.
Remembrance - We wish to ensure that the people who fell, military and civilian are never forgotten. There for, each year, we lay a wreath at the monument of a crashed Lancaster.
Education – We support initiatives as; school projects and private quests, enabling us to understand the reasons for the freedom we have today and look to the future in a positive manner.
Future generations must be reminded of what happened in WWII so that they never forget that their freedom was gained by acts and sacrifices of these men and women in history.
Members, Geert Bourguignon, Bram Dermout, Filip Doms, Dan Jonckers, Erwin Sollie (+), Danny Van Den Broeck, Dirk Vermeulen.
| Roll of Honour and Aircraft losses. 1940 - 1941 - 1942 - 1943 1944/45/46 |
| Cope Jack Edward, evade from Belgium to Gibraltar |
| Old newsletters. The Tiller |
| The story of "The Y's 'Owells"  |
| TV reportage & slideshows. |
| Bookshelf (13) |
| Interviews, audio recordings. |
| In memorian. |
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The Lincolnshire Lancaster Ass. |
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| LOGBOOK P/O Cagienard Robert Roland Pilot. serv. no. 174879 °1920 - +1944 via Fam. Jean & Alan Duke |
| LOGBOOK Sgt. Eldrett F. Fl. Eng. serv. no. 1397252 via Mellissa Shepherd. |
| LOGBOOK W/O 2. Davison Ray Rear Gunner serv. no. 2200204 via Davison Lian. |
| LOGBOOK P/O. Mills James - DFC. Pilot serv. no. 43016 via Woods Ashley. |
| LOGBOOK F/O. Snyder John L. Pilot serv. no. J-36626 RCAF. via Hofeldt Tiffany. |
| LOGBOOK Sgt. Base Raymond V. Fl. Eng. serv. no. 3010920. via Base Roxy. |
| LOGBOOK (large file) Sgt. Leatherdale Frank. Navigator serv. no. 151162. via Family Leatherdale. |
All info and photos relating 115 Sqn are welcome, mail them to friends115squadron@gmail.com ,
the team thanks you for your effort.
<-- Our photobook.
115 SQUADRON - R.A.F. Operations Record Book - 1939-1945.
These pages including the Summary of Events (the daily notes),
and Details of sortie or flight (the mission's details, and the crewmembers).
This is a major task and will take months of work.
The plan in the future is to connect a search module.
Dear Sirs,
I am writing to you after noticing an error on your Web site concerning Squadron 115 Wellington Mk III – X3593 – KO-C ;
you state that the aircraft crashed in Bièvres which is incorrect :
The Île-de-France Branch of the Royal Air Forces Association has participated in the ceremony commemorating the lives of the
crew members of Squadron 115 Wellington Mk III – X3593 – KO-C and Squadron 57 Wellington Mk III – X3640 -DX since the
creation of our branch in 1946.
The crash resulted from a mid-air collision of these aircraft on 29th of April 1942 over the town of Maisons-Laffitte, France.
It is thought that X3640 was hit by flak and then collided with X3593.
Both aircraft fell in the area known as the "Parc de Maisons-Laffitte" and the debris was spread in 3 or 4 areas – see the map attached. Crash Site Location.pdf
The bodies of the crew of X3640 were severely charred but those of X3593 were intact.
All were collected by the personnel of the German HQ, which was also in the Park, and were laid out on the ground before being
transferred for burial to Bièvres.
On the 2nd of May the residents in the Park placed two small flags, one French and one British, at each spot where a body was found and laid a bouquet of branches of Lilac bearing a tri-colour ribbon.
The ceremony always takes place at the monument in Avenue Eglé, situated nearby the crash site in the Park, on the last Sunday of April each year and is organised by the Mayor of the town, currently Jacques MYARD.
He usually makes a very moving speech recalling the history of the laying of the bouquets of lilac.
The monument unfortunately bears an error in the inscription, as it cites 157 Squadron instead of 57 Squadron.
The monument was modified later to commemorate the crew of an American B-26 Marauder 42-96127 of the USAAF that crashed in the Park on the 24th of June 1944, a short distance away in Avenue La Fontaine.
I have attached some photos showing the monument, taken last Sunday after the ceremony.
Kind regards,
Michael CLOSE – RAFA Île-de-France Events Organiser.
Vorige woensdag is er een nabestaande overgekomen met haar man om een bezoek te brengen
aan het graf op de begraafplaats van Winkel. Zij is een achternicht van Donald Larkman, van het 115 Squadron,
k.i.a 17-11-40.
In een korte ceremonie werd door de burgemeester enz. stilgestaan bij deze gebeurtenis.
Met vrgr.
Klaas Visser.
Last Wednesday, a relative came over with her husband to visit the grave at the cemetery of Winkel.
She is a grandniece of Donald Larkman, of the 115 Squadron, k.i.a 17-11-40.
In a short ceremony, the mayor etc. reflected on this event.
Greetings.
Klaas Visser.
Sgt. Larkman Donald - Pilot, and his crew lost their lives 16/17 November 1940 during a mission on Hamburg.
115 Squadron lost 4 Wellington's that night.
Please see the announcement about Pilot P/O. Frank Norman PLUM, RAFVR,
a pilot who served with 115 Squadron; and later with 692 Squadron in No 8 Group.
Yours faithfully,
Norman Wells.
Plum Frank Norman, DFC and Bar - 12.03.1923 – 12.02.2009.
On 12th February peacefully at Blackbrook Care Home, Dedham, Norman of Frinton-on-Sea, aged 85 years.
Much loved husband of Audrey, a dear father of Melvin and Beverly and a loving grandad and great grandad.
A Thanksgiving Service will be held at St. Mary's Parish Church, Frinton-on-Sea on Wednesday, 25th February at 12 noon.
Family flowers only please but donations if so desired to RAFA Benevolent Fund c/o P.G. Oxley Ltd., 43/47 High Street,
Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, CO14 8BE, Tel. 01255 675549.
Source: gazette-news.co.uk.
His missions with 115 Squadron.