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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
Sources:
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/ Revision history:
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] |