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crash-430625-01

June 25th, 1943

Halifax V DK135 'ZL' of 427 Sq.

Crashed at about 01.00 hrs (local time) at the Zuiddijk, Rozenburg roughly 16 km WSW of Rotterdam.
Shot down by night-fighter Me110.
In 1967 parts of the wreck were recovered. Bodies of two missing airmen were found then.

Crew:

- F/O Lou Warren SOMERS (Pilot RCAF) age 24. KIA
Son of Joseph and Betty Somers, of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Buried after recovery in 1967 Canadian War Cemetery at Groesbeek.

- Sgt William George ARTHUR (Flight Engineer RAF VR) age 23. KIA
Son of Grace Milligan, of  Auchinleck, Ayrshire.
Buried Rotterdam Crooswijk General Cemetery.

- P/O Max SHVEMAR (Navigator RCAF) age 28. KIA
Buried Rotterdam Crooswijk General Cemetery.

- P/O Vern M. WHITE ( Air Bomber RCAF) POW
Stalag Luft Sagan and Belaria, nr 1707.

- Sgt Larry A. BONE (RAF Wireless Operator)POW
Stalag Luft Heydekrug, nr 296.

- Sgt Jonathan Harvey WALTON (Air Gunner RCAF), age 33. KIA
Husband of Ethel J. Walton. Son of Jonathan and Catherine Walton of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
Buried after recovery in 1967 Canadian War Cemetery at Groesbeek.

- Sgt Frederick Charles ASHBY (RAF VR Air Gunner) age 20. MIA
Son of Frederick and Hilda Ashby of Reading, Berkshire.
No known grave, commemorated on panel 140 of the Runnymede Memorial.

Target: Wuppertal
Homebase: Leeming
Taken off: 23.07 hrs (GMT)


Details supplied by Jan Weda