Search for information airmen KIA 17th june 1944 (moved)

[Gerard van der Vliet]

For 50 years, several people in the region I live in, have searched for information about a crash of a Lancaster on the 17th of june 1944. This post is a 'call for help'! Hopefully, on the 17th june of this year 2016, a memorial will be placed on the crashsite near the town Rhenen. On this memorial, the names of the airmen are written. To make that day a memorable day, we are searching for relatives of these men. The crew (this bomber, nr. LM134), eight men in total, died at the crashsite, while the plane exploded on the ground(fully loaded). Their names are:
F/L A D McConnell (A/B)
F/O D F Neilson (P)
F/O H B Brett (Nav)
Sgt A T Paget (W/Op)
Sgt E W Webb (MU/AG)
F/O J M McKay (R/AG)
Sgt J E Legg (F/Eng)
W/O J K Murray (P)
Three of them were found and buried, 5 'missing in action'.

Because the crew originally came from several services, a search is difficult. Attempt were made to find veteran organisations, but the information we looked for (relatives of these men) never reached us.
Can anyone help us find the right organisations or people, who can help us find relatives?
Thanks!
Gerard van der Vliet
Veenendaal, The Netherlands

[Errol Martyn]

From my For Your Tomorrow - A record of New Zealanders who have died while serving with the RNZAF and Allied Air Services since 1915 (Volume Two: Fates 1943-1998) :

Fri 16/Sat 17 Jun 1944
BOMBER COMMAND
Raid on Sterkrade-Holten, Ruhr, Germany (by 321 aircraft - 33 lost)
550 Squadron, RAF (North Killingholme, Lincolnshire - 1 Group)
Lancaster I LM134/H - took off at 2310 captained by Fg Off D F Neilson, RCAF, and brought down over the Netherlands, crashing between Achterberg and Veenendaal. Three of the crew, including the air bomber, are buried at Amersfoort, 20km NW of Veenendaal, while their five comrades are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.
Air Bomber: NZ39061 Flt Lt Alexander Donovan McCONNELL, DFC, RNZAF - Age 25. 290hrs(?). 42nd op.
This was McConnell’s second tour, his first of 31 ops being completed with 103 Sqn, RAF.

And from Volume Three (Birographies & Appendices):

Amendment - crashed at 0110. Burials on 21st

Bio details

McCONNELL, Flight Lieutenant Alexander Donovan, DFC.
NZ39061 (prev A39061); b Dunedin 22 Jan 19; Otago BHS, Dunedin; clerk - National Mortgage & Agency Co, Dunedin. NZ Army/TF (Canty Regt) 26 Jul 39; RNZAF Ohakea as EA u/t 20 Sep 39, Wigram 20 Oct 39, remust as Clerk (GD) 24 Nov 39, TTW 5 Dec 39, remust as Airman Pilot u/t & 1EFTS 4 Jun 40, pilot trg terminated, remust as Air Observer u/t 1 Sep 40, 1AOS 9 Sep 40, GTS 29 Sep 40, emb for Canada 5 Nov 40, att RCAF 20 Nov 40, 4AOS 24 Nov 40, 4BGS 17 Feb 41, Air Observers Badge & Sgt 29 Mar 41, 1ANS 30 Mar 41, 1 M Depôt 8 May 41, att RAF & emb for UK 19 May 41, 3PRC 7 Jun 41 [SSQ 7-14 Jun], 12OTU (Wellington) 19 Jun 41, slightly inj in acc on approach 19/20 Aug 41, 103 Sqn (Wellington - 31 ops) 14 Oct 41, c/ldg on rtn from Paris/Gennevilliers op due flak dam (uninj) 29/30 Apr 42, baled out due fuel shortage rtg from Stuttgart op (uninj) 4/5 May 42, Comm 29 Jun 42, 1481TT&G Flt [redesignated 1481(B)GF 18.12.42] (various a/c types) as instr 9 Jul 42, remust as Air Navigator (B) 22 Jul 42, 1656HCU (Halifax) 4 Feb 43 as instr [att 1AAS (various a/c types) 17 Apr-17 May], 419 Sqn RCAF (Halifax) May 43, 1667HCU (Halifax/Lancaster) as instr 9 Jun 43 [att 1656HCU (Halifax/Lancaster) as instr 9-17 Jun], 550 Sqn (Lancaster - 11 ops) 25 Nov 43, kao 17 Jun 44. Amersfoort (Oud Leusden) General Cemetery - 13.1.1, Utrecht, Netherlands. Son of Thomas & Ellen Edith McConnell (née Donovan), Dunedin; h of Cpl Betty McConnell (née Keen), WAAF (UK), Headington, Oxon., England. [BSD].

Errol

[Errol Martyn]

To make contact with McConnell's family you might find it worthwhile to have the editor of the New Zealand Returned Services Association quarterly magazine RSA Review published a letter to the editor or a notice in the ‘Lost Trails’ column. You can contact him at rsareview@rsa.org.nz

Errol

[Errol Martyn]

If you type 'lm134 rafcommands' into google this brings up several earlier threads about LM134.

Errol

[Gerard van der Vliet]

If you type 'lm134 rafcommands' into google this brings up several earlier threads about LM134.

Errol

Thank your very much, Errol!
One family has been found, 7 to go...

If you type 'lm134 rafcommands' into google this brings up several earlier threads about LM134.

Errol

For months, i'm looking for this Kennill, maybe, Kenneth Weston? Do you know more, Errol?

[jonny]

Gerard,

I am in contact with Kennill. Do you want to point him in the direction of this thread? The two of you can then join up.

Rgds

Jonny

[Gerard van der Vliet]

Gerard,

I am in contact with Kennill. Do you want to point him in the direction of this thread? The two of you can then join up.

Rgds

Jonny

@Jonny: yes, please! it would mean a lot if I can finally get in touch with him.
Regards, gerard

[kennill]

For 50 years, several people in the region I live in, have searched for information about a crash of a Lancaster on the 17th of june 1944. This post is a 'call for help'! Hopefully, on the 17th june of this year 2016, a memorial will be placed on the crashsite near the town Rhenen. On this memorial, the names of the airmen are written. To make that day a memorable day, we are searching for relatives of these men. The crew (this bomber, nr. LM134), eight men in total, died at the crashsite, while the plane exploded on the ground(fully loaded). Their names are:
F/L A D McConnell (A/B)
F/O D F Neilson (P)
F/O H B Brett (Nav)
Sgt A T Paget (W/Op)
Sgt E W Webb (MU/AG)
F/O J M McKay (R/AG)
Sgt J E Legg (F/Eng)
W/O J K Murray (P)
Three of them were found and buried, 5 'missing in action'.

Because the crew originally came from several services, a search is difficult. Attempt were made to find veteran organisations, but the information we looked for (relatives of these men) never reached us.
Can anyone help us find the right organisations or people, who can help us find relatives?
Thanks!
Gerard van der Vliet
Veenendaal, The Netherlands

Dear Gerard

I am kennill. Ken Weston in real life.

I spent many years studying the loss of LM 134, because I am a military historian with a special interest in the rNZAF.

I know about all their is to know about the crash, and I have quite a lot of info. Neilson was from Argentina.

I think I have photos of him as a child.

McConnell, my subject, was married but his wife has now died. I was in touch with his niece in Australia but she has also died.

Their is another neice but she lives in Canada.

I know the wife of McKay was alive not too long ago - but she has probably also died.

My wife and I visited Amersfoort cemetery a few years back and we also intended to visit the crash site.

But we did not get around to it.

I have numerous photos of McConnell and his family.

His brother in Law told me that Alex's big mistake was to book his passage home before the flight.

It is not widely known that a German Fighter Pilot claimed LM134 - it was previously not known how she came to be lost.

I think he was called Adolph Breves.

If you want to continue this conversation or have further questions/help may I suggest you PM me your email address?

My wife and I would love to attend but it may be difficult.

Sincerely

Ken

[Gerard van der Vliet]

An PM is underways!

[alieneyes]

Gerard,

Re: the three RCAF members lost.

Donald Fullerton Neilson was the only child of Neil Hingle and Ellen Maud (née Edwards) Neilson of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Neilson Senior, originally from Liverpool, was a cattle rancher with properties in Argentina and Canada. Neilson was working on one of father's ranches in Alberta when he enlisted in 1942.

Harold Beverly Brett had a brother and two sisters. You can find his sister, Lillian's, family by following this link: http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/m/i/l/J.../UHP-0131.html

John Kay Murray, although listed as coming from Ontario, enlisted in Winnipeg. He had two brothers, Charles and Robert, both serving overseas and one sister, Marion. His father, Charles, had died 6 February, 1936 and is buried in Swan River, Manitoba.

Regards,

Dave