Commonwealth War Graves General Cemetery Sleen
There are now 16, 1939-1945 war casualties commemorated on Sleen General Cemetery. On February 3, 1943, a Halifax of the Royal Canadian Air Force en route to Hamburg was shot above Schoonloo and fires crashed. Three crew members managed to save themselves with a parachute and were taken prisoner of war. The aircraft burned down completely and the bodies of the other four crew members were later recovered. The graves are listed according to the order, from the first grave on the left: graves: 1: Pilot officer [b] J.D. Mackenzie [/b], pilot Royal Canadian Air Force age 21 2: Warrant Officer II [b] R.H. Hill [/b], wireless operator Royal Canadian Air Force age 23 3: Sergeant [b] W.P. Duthie [/b], flight engineer Royal Canadian air force age 21 4: Warrant Officer II [b] L.A. Connett [/b], wireless operator Royal Canadian Air Force age 22 On May 14, 1943, a four-engined Handley Page Halifax bomber of the Royal Air Force crashed in the woods of Sleenerzand. During the return flight after a bombing raid on Bochum at 02:30 am above German-Dutch border area near Emmen, the plane was set on fire by a German night fighter. Above the forestry, the machine swerved, lost a portion, and crashed. graves: 5: Sergeant [b] G.S. Walton [/b] wireless operator Royal Air Force age 27 6: Flying Officer [b] D.P. Puddephatt [/b] pilot Royal Air Force 7: Sergeant [b] J.I.P. Morgan [/b] navigator Royal Air Force age 22 8: Sergeant [b] A.W. Mckillop [/b] gunner Royal Air Force age 29 9: Sergeant [b] M.J.H. Brookes [/b] flight engineer Royal Air Force age 21 10: Sergeant [b] L.W. Bolton [/b] navigator bombe Air Force r 11: Sergeant [b] R.A. Halestrap [/b] air gunner age 21 Royal Air Force On May 28, 1943, at 1:51 am in the hamlet of Den Hool, a four-engine Handley Page Halifax Mk.II bomber of the Royal Air Force crashed. Of the seven-man crew, five were killed. The crew members killed are: graves: 12: Sergeant [b] E.S. Buck [/b] air gunner Royal Air Force 13: Sergeant [b] E.B. Blackbarow [/b] air gunner Royal Air Force 14: Sergeant [b] S.G. Beattie [/b] air bomber Royal Air Force age 21 15: Flying Officer [b] G. Rawlinson [/b] pilot Royal Air Force age 24 16: Sergeant [b] J. Howarth [/b] flight engineer Royal Air Force age 22