Royal New Zealand Air Force War Graves in Gelderland
Gendringen Roman Catholic Cemetery
William Leslie Knowles
Sgt W.L. Knowles. Row A Grave 4
Sgt W.L. Knowles - 402160
Son of Ellen Knowles, of New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.
Son of Ellen Knowles, of New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand.
Sgt William Leslie Knowles, RNZAF, was the captain and pilot of Hampden I AE120 of 106 Squadron, RAF. The aircraft had left RAF Coningsby at 22.25 hrs on 5th August, 1941. The RAF's objective for this night was a combined operation against targets in Mannheim and Ludwigshafen, Germany. The bomber was intercepted by a night fighter and was shot down. At 01.00 hrs in the morning of 6th August, 1941, AE120 crashed onto the dwelling and carpenter's workshop of the Lammers family, at the corner of the Luimesweg and Den Dam in Breedenbroek, killing all four crew as well as the two young children, Gerda Johanna Lammers (4 years) and her brother Hendrik (12).
Of the 33 Hampdens on this operation, only AE120 failed to return safely.
The four crew were buried at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Gendringen:
Sgt William Leslie Knowles, RNZAF
Sgt James Melvin Macilwraith, RAF
F/S Alexander Philip Price, DFM, RAF
Sgt Cecil Rhodes, RAF
Of the 33 Hampdens on this operation, only AE120 failed to return safely.
The four crew were buried at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Gendringen:
Sgt William Leslie Knowles, RNZAF
Sgt James Melvin Macilwraith, RAF
F/S Alexander Philip Price, DFM, RAF
Sgt Cecil Rhodes, RAF
(BCL, Vol.III, 1941, p.109)
(Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers)
(Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers)