Crash Avro Lancaster PB346

While on a mission to bomb the Givors marshalling yard, the Lancaster PB346 of the 619 Squadron RAF crashed there with 6 crew members:

★ F/0 Donald Neil McKechnie (RAF Pilot)
★ Sergeant Antony Barker (RAF Mechanic)
★ Sergeant Wilfred Robert Little (RAF Navigator)
★ Sergeant Robert Geoffrey Dean (RAF Bomber)
★ Sergeant Richard Arthur Williams (RAF Radio)
★ Sergeant Ernest John Courtenay (RAF Machine Gunner)
★ Sergeant Alfred Craven (RAF Machine Gunner)

All died in the crash and lie buried in the communal cemetery of La Boissière-sur-Èvre.

Text of explanatory panel:

This stele commemorates the crash of a British bomber from the Royal Air Force (RAF) which took place on the night of July 26-27, 1944, at 3:45 am.
The event on the spot:
After flying over the market town, the burning plane crashed in the middle of the fields, about 100 m south of the Saint Jean houses where the Bosseau family lived. The fire quickly spread to the wheat sheaves. Despite the danger, Father Bosseau and his son Jean ploughed their oxen around the burning area - and managed to contain the fire. In the morning, the scene was desolate: there were no survivors. The Germans from the Ancenis kommandantur are on the scene. They leave with the mitrailleuses of the bombardier,- and, after bitter discussions with the mayor, agree to a Christian burial. The 7 Allied airmen, six British and one Canadian, aged between 19 and 33, were buried the next day in the cemetery at La Boissière-sur-Evre.

Where did this bomber come from?
On the night of July 26 to 27, the RAF's 5th Bombardment Group B was tasked with destroying the rail hub south of Lyon (Givors, Chasse... ) in order to disrupt the movement of the German army and prepare for the Provence landings onAugust 15, 1944. Leaving their bases in Lincolnshire, north-east England, at around 9 p.m., the 178 "Avro Lancaster" bombers and 9 "Mosquito" reconnaissance aircraft encountered appalling weather conditions. A total of 5 aircraft were destroyed, resulting in the deaths of 30 airmen from the UK, Australia and Canada. The bomber that crashed at La Boissière was returning from this mission.

The cause of the crash:
The RAF explained to the families that the cause of the accident was bad weather conditions (thunderstorms).... However, according to numerous local accounts, the bomber that fell at La Boissière seems to have been hit by the German DCA:installed between Va'ades and Anetz, to:-protect an operational airfield from June to July 1944; The two explanations are perhaps combined...

In memory of these airmen who gave their lives for the liberation of France, pay your respects to the 7 Commonwealth plaques installed in our cemetery.

In memory of these airmen who gave their lives for the liberation of France, pay your respects to the 7 Commonwealth plaques installed in our cemetery.

In memory of these airmen who gave their lives for the liberation of France, pay your respects to the 7 Commonwealth plaques installed in our cemetery. Bombardier Avro Lancaster
Length = 21 m,Wingspan =31 m, Empty weight =16.7 tons, Speed = 462 km/h, Range = 2..670 km, 4 Roll-Royces engines of 1460 hp.

While on a mission to bomb the Givors marshalling yard, the Lancaster PB346 of the 619 Squadron RAF crashed there with 6 crew members:★ F 0 Donald Neil McKechnie (RAF Pilot) ★ Sergeant Antony Barker (RAF Mechanic) ★ Sergeant Wilfred Robert Little (RAF Navigator) ★ Sergeant Robert Geoffrey Dean (RAF Bomber) ★ Sergeant Richard Arthur Williams (RAF Radio) ★ Sergeant Ernest John Courtenay (RAF Machine Gunner) ★ Sergeant Alfred Craven (RAF Machine Gunner) All died in the crash and lie buried in the communal cemetery of La Boissière-sur-Èvre.Text of explanatory panel:This stele commemorates the crash of a British bomber from the Royal Air Force (RAF) which took place on the night of July 26-27, 1944, at 3:45 am. The event on the spot:After flying over the market town, the burning plane crashed in the middle of the fields, about 100 m south of the Saint Jean houses where the Bosseau family lived. The fire quickly spread to the wheat sheaves. Despite the danger, Father Bosseau and his son Jean ploughed their oxen around the burning area - and managed to contain the fire. In the morning, the scene was desolate: there were no survivors. The Germans from the Ancenis kommandantur are on the scene. They leave with the mitrailleuses of the bombardier,- and, after bitter discussions with the mayor, agree to a Christian burial. The 7 Allied airmen, six British and one Canadian, aged between 19 and 33, were buried the next day in the cemetery at La Boissière-sur-Evre. Where did this bomber come from?On the night of July 26 to 27, the RAF's 5th Bombardment Group B was tasked with destroying the rail hub south of Lyon (Givors, Chasse... ) in order to disrupt the movement of the German army and prepare for the Provence landings onAugust 15, 1944. Leaving their bases in Lincolnshire, north-east England, at around 9 p.m., the 178 Avro Lancaster bombers and 9 Mosquito reconnaissance aircraft encountered appalling weather conditions. A total of 5 aircraft were destroyed, resulting in the deaths of 30 airmen from the UK, Australia and Canada. The bomber that crashed at La Boissière was returning from this mission.The cause of the crash:The RAF explained to the families that the cause of the accident was bad weather conditions (thunderstorms).... However, according to numerous local accounts, the bomber that fell at La Boissière seems to have been hit by the German DCA:installed between Va'ades and Anetz, to:-protect an operational airfield from June to July 1944; The two explanations are perhaps combined... In memory of these airmen who gave their lives for the liberation of France, pay your respects to the 7 Commonwealth plaques installed in our cemetery.In memory of these airmen who gave their lives for the liberation of France, pay your respects to the 7 Commonwealth plaques installed in our cemetery.In memory of these airmen who gave their lives for the liberation of France, pay your respects to the 7 Commonwealth plaques installed in our cemetery. Bombardier Avro Lancaster Length = 21 m,Wingspan =31 m, Empty weight =16.7 tons, Speed = 462 km h, Range = 2..670 km, 4 Roll-Royces engines of 1460 hp.