Noordwijk General Cemetery

Historical Information (Source: CWGC)

The Commonwealth plot in Noordwijk General Cemetery contains 81 burials of the First World War, including 54 unidentified naval ratings. Of the 52 Second World War burials, 19 are unidentified. The plot also contains 2 Polish Airmen's graves, 1 is unidentified. The Commonwealth War Graves plots are in the centre of the cemetery and also on the higher level on the left side.

 

Served with

  • Australian (2)
  • Canadian (9)
  • New Zealand (2)
  • Polish (1)
  • South African (5)
  • United Kingdom (43)

Served in

  • Air Force (29)
  • Army (8)
  • Merchant Navy (1)
  • Navy (24)
Noordwijk General Cemetery
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Sergeant George Henry SHANNON - 400294

405 (R.C.A.F.) Sqdn. Royal Australian Air Force

Died 02 October 1942 Age 27

Australian

Son of Francis T. and Eva Shannon; husband of Gweneth Shannon, of Geelong West, Victoria, Australia.

Inscription: EVER REMEMBERED

 

NAA Item Number 5533837 Shannon
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Group portrait of five recent RAAF graduates of an Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS) air observer's school (AOS), standing in front of a Fairey Battle light bomber at RCAF Station Mossbank, Saskatchewan.

From left: 400393 Sergeant (Sgt) (later Flying Officer) Eliot Ralph Barnfather (lost on operations over Denmark, 18 May 1942); 400294 Sgt George Henry Shannon (lost on operations over the Netherlands on 2 October 1942) ; 404322 Sgt William Samuel Charles Atherton (lost on operations over Gibraltar, 9 January 1942); Gus Robertson; 402648 Sgt (later Flying Officer) Norman Falkner Dwyer (lost on operations over the Celebes, 1 October 1943).

 

Halifax II DG228 - 405 Sqdn

Took off 1826 2 Oct 1942 from RAF Topcliffe. Shot down by Flak and crashed 2249 on Vredebest Farm near Noordwijkerhout (Zuid Holland) 16 km SSW of Haarlem.

Crew

Sergeant George Henry SHANNON (400294) RAAF

Flight Sergeant Maxwell BEN-HERTZ (R/87671) Air Observer RCAF

Flight Sergeant David George HACKETT (R/89449) Flight Engineer RCAF

Sergeant Sidney MESSHAM (618362) Wireless Operator RAF   

Warrant Officer Class I Edward Warren MURPHY (R/67977) Pilot RCAF          

Flight Sergeant Charles Joseph NEUBERT (R/132976) Air Gunner RCAF

Flight Sergeant Lionel Harry WILLIAMS (R/122012) Air Gunner RCAF

Flight Sergeant Charles Robert COWAN - 410459

Royal Australian Air Force

Died 26 July 1943 Age 21

Australian

Son of Robert Claude and Eva Hilda Cowan, of Caulfield, Victoria, Australia.

Inscription: HE NOTHING COMMON DID OR MEAN UPON THAT MEMORABLE SCENE

 

NAA Item Number 5524055 Cowan
PDF – 6,4 MB

Wellington X HZ580 - 466 Sqdn

Took off 2246 25 July 1943 from RAF Leconfield. Crashed in the sea off the Dutch coast cause unknown.

Crew

Flight Sergeant Charles Robert COWAN (410459) RAAF

Flight Sergeant Wilfred HARPER (415379) RAAF - Runnymede Memorial Panel 192.

Flight Sergeant Raoul Ellery THORPE (416794) RAAF  - Runnymede Memorial

Warrant Officer Jack HARRISON-OWEN (400392) RAAF - The Hague (Westduin) General Cemetery - Allied Plot. Row 4. Grave 73.

Flight Sergeant David Poole SPEECHLEY (410177) RAAF - The Hague (Westduin) General Cemetery - Allied Plot. Row 4. Grave 71.