Haveluy Communal

Haveluy Communal Cemetery

Historical Information (Source: CWGC)

Near the middle of the northern boundary wall is the collective grave of seven airmen of the Royal Air Force.

Served with

United Kingdom (7)

Served in

Air Force (7)

Lancaster III LM725 – 115 Sqdn – 15 February 1945

On Wednesday 14 February 1945 the 7-man crew of Lancaster Mk. III, LM 725, call sign KO-X took off from R.A.F. Witchford in Cambridgeshire at 20.37 hours to join an armada of 717 aircraft from 1, 3, 4, 6 and 8 Groups taking part in “Operation Thunderclap” to bomb Chemnitz. This city in the east of Germany (near Dresden) was an important industrial centre and home to an oil refinery. The bombing was hampered by cloud and, although many parts of the city were hit, the majority of the bombs fell in open country. The aircraft was already in trouble at 01.00 hours on Thursday 15 February 1945 when arrangements were made for it to attempt a forced landing at Valenciennes (Prouvy) – now Aéroport de Valenciennes-Denain. (All this French territory was now securely back in Allied hands.) It came down about 4 miles short of Valenciennes.

The mayor of Haveluy subsequently recalled that (as translated from the French):

“The airfield at Cambrai Epinoy had received a radio message from the stricken bomber – ‘Three engines on fire … the 4th white hot … clearing the built up area before landing.’ The aircraft lost more and more height. The pilot managed to avoid houses, and possible civilian casualties, but shed part of one wing at 2.25 a.m. and plunged into the ground near a place called “Calvary”, with a terrible explosion causing a crater 20 metres wide and 8 metres deep. 7 heroic English airmen had just died to save lives and our village.”