Need photos of crash site for 12 SQ Fairey Battle PHoK (P2204) near Lanaken Belgium on 12 May 1940: Double VC winners

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

According to the EoE British Loss DB: "May 12, 1940: 12 SQUADRON Battle P2204. Shot down by flak during low-level attack on the Veldwezelt bridge over the Albert Canal 9.15 a.m. Crashed and burned out near Lanaken. Flying Officer Donald Edward Garland, Sergeant Thomas Gray, and LAC Lawrence Royston Reynolds all killed. Aircraft PH*K a write-off.
The badly burnt remains of this crew was buried in two coffins in Lanaken Communal Cemetery, but later reinterred in Heverlee War Cemetery, Leuven. Donald Garland and his observer, Tom Gray, were both subsequently awarded the Victoria Cross for gallantry. Their gunner, Lawrence Reynolds, received no award of any kind."

Are there any known contemporary photos of this crash site, or has it ever been excavated by aviation archaeologists since the war?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[Larry Hickey]

Hello,

As another approach to doing a color profile of this a/c, are any photos known of this a/c BEFORE it was shot down? Has this a/c been previously researched and published somewhere?

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

[Leendert]

Larry,

Not altogether what you're looking for (a 1940 photo), but you may be interested to know that a monument was erected for the RAF-airmen (as well as another one for the Belgian ones) who were killed in the attacks on the Albert Canal bridges.

See http://www.aviationheritage.eu/nl/co...aanval-bruggen

Regards,

Leendert

[Larry Hickey]

Leendert,

No, this isn't what I was hoping for, but I'll put it in the EoE DB just in case we don't find anything else to help illustrate the loss of this crew.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator