Leo Janssen writes:
Boxmeer is located in the province of North Brabant, Netherlands, in the upper south-east of the country. Our group researching airplane crashes and emergency landings in the Second World War in the region around Boxmeer began some 10 years ago. Before that time many individual researchers were trying to confirm crash sites and other details. We got a lot of help from a group called the Plane Hunters. They enabled us to localise and confirm 27 crashes and emergency landings, German aircraft as well as Allied aircraft.
We have placed information boards at crash sites and in 2017 we placed a monument at one of the sites at the Schutkooi, in Vortum Mullem.
Our latest project is Avro Lancaster ED997, OL-R, that crashed on 22 June 1943 in Oeffelt, south-west of Nijmegen. The Fletcher crew were from 83 Squadron, RAF Wyton, and six of them were British and one was Canadian. They were all buried at Jonkerbos cemetery.
THE CREW
| 1389587 F/Sgt D W C Fletcher – The Pilot |
| 630736 Sgt A E McWilliam |
| R97867 F/Sgt G C Wickson, RCAF |
| 1025185 Sgt E Lidster |
| 1312384 Sgt L V Tanner |
| 148401 F/Sgt L A C Angell |
| 1698546 Sgt R Metcalfe |
So far, we have been able to trace photographs of four of the seven-man crew (Wickson, Lidster, Tanner, and Metcalfe), leaving three to find. We are hoping to accomplish this before the planned unveiling of an information board at the crash site on 21 September 2024. The photograph on this post is from the service record of Gordon Conrad Wickson.
The photographs missing are:
Albert Ernest McWilliam, service number 630736. Son of George and Charlotte Elizabeth McWilliam, of Ballyconneely, Co. Galway, Irish Republic
Leonard Arthur Charles Angell, service number 148401. Son of Leonard George and Florence Nellie Angell, of Enfield, Middlesex, husband of Marjorie Joan Angell (nee Kent) of Richmond, Surrey.
Dennis Walter Cleveland Fletcher, service number 1389587. Son of Frederick George and Annie Beatrice Fletcher, of Enfield Middlesex.
We hope that by placing this article on the RAF Pathfinders website we will be able to find photographs of and/or information about these three men.
If anyone wants to get in touch with us about the four other members of the crew on whom we already have information, please feel free to do so.
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