Date:	Wednesday 15 May 1940
Time:	10:00 LT
Type:	Westland Lysander
Owner/operator:	13 Sqn RAF
Registration:	L4813
MSN:	OO-R
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Meerdaalwoud, Bierbeek, near Leuven, Flemish Brabant -   Belgium
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Douai, France
Destination airport:

Narrative:
Westland Lysander Mk.I L4813 (OO-R) 13 Sqaudron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from combat operations on 15 May 1940. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/8367): "Leading Aircraftman C F Lucas and Pilot Officer A C Ollerenshaw, report of deaths; Lysander 51260 [*sic] crashed at Louvain near Brussels, Belgium, 15 May 1940.

Operation: Tactical Reconnaissance over the Dyle Line. Crashed at 10.00 hrs (Belgian Time, GMT +1hr) into the Meerdaalwoud, a few meters from the Limietendreef at Bierbeek, near Leuven (Louvain). Exact cause unknown, but possibly shot down by Oberlt Fronhöfer of 9./JG26. Both crew killed.

Crew of Lysander L4813:
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Alan Christie Ollerenshaw, RAF 41729 (New Zealander), age 19, killed in action 15/05/1940
Leading Aircraftman (Air Gunner) Charles F. Lucas, RAFVR 937157, age 23, killed in action 15/05/1940,

Both crew fatalities were buried at Leuven Communal Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium

1. Royal Air Force Aircraft L1000-L9999 (James J. Halley, Air Britain, 1978 p 30)
2. National Archives (PRO Kew) File AIR 81/367: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C14502171
3. Cynrick De Decker and Jean Louis Roba, Mei 1940 boven België: de luchtstrijd tijdens de Achttiendaagse Veldtocht, De Krijger, 1993;
4. Peter D. Cornwell, The Battle of France, Then and Now, 2008
5. http://www.epibreren.com/ww2/raf/13_squadron.html
6. https://www.bierbeek1418.be/bierbeek-40-45/getuigenissen-vliegtuigcrashes-gevraagd/
7. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2896512/ollerenshaw,-alan-christie/
8. https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2896510/lucas,-charles-francis/
9. https://www.bierbeek1418.be/bierbeek-40-45/getuigenissen-vliegtuigcrashes-gevraagd/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
22-Jun-2011 13:18	ThW	Added
19-Jun-2013 10:17	Nepa	Updated [Time, Operator, Narrative]
11-Jul-2019 22:31	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Cn, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
26-Jun-2022 05:41	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]
07-Nov-2022 08:27	Ron Averes	Updated [Location]