lachalade

graves

IN MEMORy by Pierre Vandervelden

The visit to Commonwealth graves in Communal Cemeteries & Churchyards in Belgium & France

LACHALADE Churchyard (Meuse France)

M. R. Conroy - W. J. Morcombe & A. A. Ough - H. L. R. Richards & A. E. Sly - D. S. Smith & S. A. Thomas

Photo Courtesy Dave Conroy


P/O William James Morcombe aged 20 for his nephew Bruce McDonald (ex RAAF & B777 Flying Instructor)


F/Sgt Reginald Matthew Conroy aged 24 for his great nephew Dave Conroy


Sgt Stanley Alan Thomas aged 23 for Tom Kaufman

Crew of the Stirling EF128 GI-D

Sgt A. A. Ough - Sgt A. E. Sly - Sgt Robert Harper - P/O W. J. Morcombe - F/Sgt D. S. Smith - F/Sgt R. M. Conroy - Sgt S. A. Thomas
That Day, a 8th crew member was in the plane, Sgt Robert Harper who survived the crash, was prisoner of war and finished the war in a POW camp in Buchenwald, then Sagan, then Luckenwald where he was delivered by the Russian troops.

The Monument to the Crew erected in Honour of the Crew.
On the reverse is a mention:
" The Stirling EF 128 took off from Great Britain for a bombing mission in Germany.
He is shot down in these woods by the Captain Helmut Bergmann of the Luftwafe who took off from Saint-Dizier.
The seven Airmen are buried in Lachalade Cemetery.
The survivor is rescued by the "Resistance".
He will nevertheless be captured and sent in a camp of Prisoners of war untill the end of the war."

Photos Courtesy Tom Kaufman

7 casualties

CONROY REGINALD MATTHEW
Australian Flight Sergeant Royal Australian Air Force 622 Sqdn. Age: 24 Date of Death: 18/11/1943 Service No: 426317

MORCOMBE WILLIAM JAMES
Australian Pilot Officer Royal Australian Air Force 622 Sqdn. Age: 20 Date of Death: 18/11/1943 Service No: 415264

OUGH ALAN ANDREW
United Kingdom Sergeant (Air Gnr.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 622 Sqdn. Age: 19 Date of Death: 18/11/1943 Service No: 1812760

RICHARDS HAROLD LESLIE RAYMOND
New Zealand Flight Sergeant (Pilot) Royal New Zealand Air Force 622 (R.A.F.) Sqdn. Age: 28 Date of Death: 18/11/1943 Service No: 42457

SLY ARTHUR ERNEST
United Kingdom Sergeant (Flt. Engr.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 622 Sqdn. Date of Death: 18/11/1943 Service No: 1632077

SMITH DONALD SINCLAIR
United Kingdom Flight Sergeant (Nav.) Royal Air Force 622 Sqdn. Age: 28 Date of Death: 18/11/1943 Service No: 658902

THOMAS STANLEY ALAN
United Kingdom Sergeant (W.Op./Air Gnr.) Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve 622 Sqdn. Age: 23 Date of Death: 18/11/1943 Service No: 915352

IF You have a casualty picture, please send me a copy, I'll be glad to show it on this page.

IF You want a king size copy of this picture (300/900 ko - 2592/1944 pixels) please e-mail me.

IF You want picture of a particular grave, in this cemetery, please e-mail me.

Casualties informations come usualy from Commonwealth War Graves Commission, see links for more informations