Personnel Index - Detail
The German marker cross and the Dutch marker cross
The crashsite of ED584 (photographed in 1945)
12/13 June; BOCHUM:
Fifteen aircraft were detailed for Bochum. This well-executed raid with good Oboe skymarking led to heavy bombing in the town centre. Fourteen Lancasters and 10 Halifaxes were lost from the raid. Unfortunately one of the Lancasters reported missing was from Fiskerton; P/O John Hutchison (ED584) and crew’s
Lancaster came down on farmland belonging to Mr J. Duteweert near Marienheem in Holland. The pilot’s body and that of his 19 year old mid upper gunner, Sgt Edward Pearson were never found. The rest of the crew are buried in Raalte Cemetery.
Lancaster ED584 (EA-U)
P/O J. Hutchison Pilot (Missing)
Sgt C.W. Dudley F/E (Killed)
P/O C.S. Olson NAV (Killed)
Sgt B.R. Cripps W/AG (Killed)
Sgt E.H. Pearson A/G (Missing)
Sgt E.W.H. Johnson B/A (Killed)
F/S L.E. Workman RNZAF A/G (Killed)
Crew on their 2nd operation
At 02.37hrs Hauptman August Geiger of 7./NJG1 claimed Lancaster ED584 as an 'Abschuss', his 29th night victory. The interception took place at an altitude of 4,300 meters over Luttenberg, 7km ENE of Raalte.
Simultaneously the 1st, 2nd and 4th batteries of Heavy Flak Unit 324 and 2nd, 3rd and 5th batteries of Heavy Flak Unit 443, also claimed Lancaster ED584 as shot down. Their claim was marked as not established and confirmed to Geiger on the 20th of December 1944.
Old 'Daily Telegraph' headline which refers to the raid where this crew was lost.
Images and information from Colin Cripps:
The top photograph shows Lisette Stappenbelt laying flowers on the graves of the 23 aircrew buried at Raalte, on Liberation day, 3rd of May 2015.
She is actually at my Uncle's grave. Lisette is the daughter of Jan Stappenbelt who owns the metal processing factory immediately opposite the cemetery.
The photograph above shows my Uncle's grave with a larger posy left by Lisette.
In 2022, Colin Cripps commissioned this painting from Simon Atack.
"The Final Glory of 'Bandlaw' U-Uncle."
"Returning from the raid to Bochum, they strayed over Almelo which had a very heavy flak battery. Struggling through, the battery declared the Lancaster as shot down due to the damage inflicted with the starboard wing on fire. 35kms later they became the victim of Leutnant August Geiger."
Click the image to view a larger version (in a new window).