Bomber Command Memorial Register

Cloot Drove Lancaster Mid-Air Collision Memorial

97 SquadronLincolnshireLancaster III

Cloot Drove, Deeping Fen, Lincolnshire

Comprehensive Record

Photographs

lancaster mark iiis
lancaster mark iiis — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
crew me625
crew me625 — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
me625 map
me625 map — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
memorial service picture me625 2
memorial service picture me625 2 — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
plaque gathering cloot house soft
plaque gathering cloot house soft — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
the plaque
the plaque — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
maurice durn soft
maurice durn soft — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
david gethin williams soft
david gethin williams soft — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
alfred lambert
alfred lambert — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
lambert new clip
lambert new clip — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
arnold news clip
arnold news clip — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
j d fletcher soft
j d fletcher soft — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
cambridge city cemetery soft
cambridge city cemetery soft — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
st martholomews marsden 2
st martholomews marsden 2 — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
treorchy cemetery soft
treorchy cemetery soft — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
perkins crew smaller version
perkins crew smaller version — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
e l j perkins
e l j perkins — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
lancaster b mark iiis of 619 sqn 3
lancaster b mark iiis of 619 sqn 3 — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
map nd981 1
map nd981 1 — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
perkins funeral
perkins funeral — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
memorial service picture me625 3
memorial service picture me625 3 — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
plaque gathering cloot house soft 1
plaque gathering cloot house soft 1 — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
the plaque 1
the plaque 1 — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
edward perkins and his moter
edward perkins and his moter — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
frank ernest coxhead b
frank ernest coxhead b — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
coxhead 1st left 2nd row from front
coxhead 1st left 2nd row from front — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
frank ernest coxhead d 1 w800 1
Credit: Aircrew Remembered
frank ernest coxhead e
frank ernest coxhead e — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
Cloot Drove Lancaster Mid-Air Collision Memorial — photograph
Cloot Drove Lancaster Mid-Air Collision Memorial — photograph — Credit: Charles J Anderson / War Memorials Online
Cloot Drove Lancaster Mid-Air Collision Memorial — photograph
Cloot Drove Lancaster Mid-Air Collision Memorial — photograph — Credit: Charles J Anderson / War Memorials Online
Cloot Drove Lancaster Mid-Air Collision Memorial — photograph
Cloot Drove Lancaster Mid-Air Collision Memorial — photograph — Credit: Charles J Anderson / War Memorials Online
Cloot Drove Lancaster Mid-Air Collision Memorial — photograph
Cloot Drove Lancaster Mid-Air Collision Memorial — photograph — Credit: Charles J Anderson / War Memorials Online

The Memorial

Type
Plaque at Cloot House Farm
Inscription

Could you help us fill in the inscription?

LocationApproximate Location

Cloot Drove, Deeping Fen, Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire

what3words: ///indulges.speeded.herds

What Happened

Six Lancasters of 97 Squadron took off from RAF Coningsby on the afternoon of 23 June 1944 for formation flying practice. Fl/Lt Van Raalte's Lancaster ME625 (OF-O) became trapped in the slipstream of the lead aircraft during a gentle turn. The turbulence threw ME625 into collision with Lancaster ND981 (OF-T), tearing the tail clean off. Both Lancasters spun out of control. All eight crew in ME625 were killed. In ND981, which broke apart at 1,000 ft, Sgt Joseph Coman managed to bail out and survived; the remaining five crew perished.

Community Connection

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Remembrance

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Aircraft & Operation Details

97 Squadron badgeAchieve your aim
Aircraft Type
Lancaster III
Serial Number
ME625 and ND981
Squadron
97 Squadron
Station
RAF Coningsby
Date of Loss
1944-06-23
Operation Type
Training
Cause of Loss
Mid-air collision; ME625 trapped in slipstream of lead aircraft, struck ND981 removing its tail

Crew (14 members)

crew me625
crew me625 — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
perkins crew smaller version
perkins crew smaller version — Credit: Aircrew Remembered
RankNameRoleAgeNationalityFateBurial / Status
Fl/Lt
Henry Stewart "Jim" Van Raalte
Aus/415220 RAAF
Pilot (ME625)31AustralianKilledCambridge City Cemetery, Grave 13766CWGC
F/Sgt
Maurice Durn
1622745 RAFVR
Flight Engineer (ME625)21BritishKilledMarsden (St Bartholomew's) Churchyard, Row 7, Grave 17CWGC
P/O
David Gethin Williams
78568 RAFVR
Navigator (ME625)22BritishKilledTreorchy Cemetery, Plot T, Grave 168CWGC
W/O
Alfred Leonard Lambert
Aus/409318 RAAF
Air Bomber (ME625)25AustralianKilledCambridge City Cemetery, Grave 14166CWGC
F/O
Alan Arnold
Aus/410136 RAAF
Visual Air Bomber (ME625)26AustralianKilledCambridge City Cemetery, Grave 13966CWGC
F/Sgt
Eric Henry Peace
1434302 RAFVR
W/Op Air Gunner (ME625)22BritishKilledCambridge City Cemetery, Grave 14366CWGC
F/Sgt
Royston George Davies
1315090 RAFVR
Air Gunner Mid Upper (ME625)22BritishKilledTreorchy Cemetery, Row R.1, Grave 17CWGC
Fl/Lt
John David Fletcher
115198 RAFVR
Air Gunner Rear (ME625)24BritishKilledCambridge City Cemetery, Grave 14566CWGC
Fl/Lt
Edward Leslie John (Ted) Perkins
RAFVR
Pilot (ND981)—BritishKilledCambridge City Cemetery, Grave 14766CWGC
Sgt
Frank Ernest Coxhead
Flight Engineer (ND981)—BritishKilledAlfreton (Lea Brooks) Cemetery, Section B, Grave 641CWGC
Fl/Lt
William James Hunt
Navigator (ND981)—BritishKilledRomford Cemetery, Section C.C., Grave 22CWGC
F/Sgt
John Fairbairn
Air Bomber (ND981)—BritishKilledKnottingley Cemetery, Grave 5224CWGC
W/O
Denis Gilbert Partos
W/Op Air Gunner (ND981)—BritishKilled
DFM
New Southgate Cemetery, Sec G, Joint Grave 1662CWGC
Sgt
Joseph Paul Coman
W/Op Air Gunner (ND981)—BritishSurvived—

About the Crew

Fl/Lt Henry Stewart "Jim" Van Raalte(age 31)Pilot (ME625)

Pilot of ME625. Killed when his aircraft was trapped in slipstream and collided with ND981.

Fl/Lt 'Jim' Van Raalte was a 31-year-old Australian serving with the RAAF.

F/Sgt Maurice Durn(age 21)Flight Engineer (ME625)

Killed in the collision. Buried at Marsden Churchyard.

P/O David Gethin Williams(age 22)Navigator (ME625)

Welsh crew member. Buried at Treorchy Cemetery.

Fl/Lt Edward Leslie John (Ted) PerkinsPilot (ND981)

Pilot of ND981. Tail torn off by collision with ME625. Buried at Cambridge City Cemetery.

Sgt Frank Ernest CoxheadFlight Engineer (ND981)

Buried at Alfreton Cemetery, Derbyshire.

Fl/Lt William James HuntNavigator (ND981)

Buried at Romford Cemetery, Essex.

W/O Denis Gilbert PartosW/Op Air Gunner (ND981)DFM

Held the Distinguished Flying Medal.

Sgt Joseph Paul ComanW/Op Air Gunner (ND981)

Sole survivor. Bailed out as ND981 broke apart at 1,000 feet. Landed safely.

Further Reading

Comprehensive account of Fl/Lt Van Raalte and the ME625 crew — their journey from OTU to 97 Squadron, 17 completed operations including pathfinder duties on D-Day, and the circumstances of the fatal mid-air collision on 23 June 1944.

What you'll find: Full crew biographies, operational history, and the Squadron Record Book account of their D-Day pathfinder mission

Van Raalte was Australian, aged 31All 8 crew of ME625 killed

Aircrew Remembered (Perkins)Retrieved 2026-03-23

Detailed account of Lancaster ND981 (OF-T) captained by P/O Perkins — the collision severed the tail section completely, with Sgt Coman the sole survivor from both aircraft.

What you'll find: Full account of ND981 crew, the collision mechanics, Sgt Coman's survival, and burial details for all crew

Tail section completely removedSgt Coman only survivor

War Memorials OnlineRetrieved 2026-03-23

Memorial plaque at Cloot House Farm, unveiled 23 June 2014.

What you'll find: Memorial record with community photographs and condition reports

70th anniversary unveiling

IWM War Memorials RegisterRetrieved 2026-03-23

13 crew commemorated.

What you'll find: Official Imperial War Museum memorial register entry

IWM memorial reference 88630

Related Memorial

Crowland (mid-air collision) Lancaster Memorial
Same mid-air collision, 23 June 1944 — two Lancasters collided over the Fens

Nearby Memorials

Lancasters ME625 and ND981
1.2 miles away
Lincolnshire
Crowland (mid-air collision) Lancaster Memorial
1.4 miles away
Lincolnshire
Vickers Wellington Z8863
13.9 miles away
Cambridgeshire
Bicker Lancaster Memorial
15.0 miles away
Lincolnshire
Avro Lancaster ND820
15.2 miles away
Lincolnshire

Sources

Aircrew Remembered (Van Raalte) (retrieved 2026-03-24)
Aircrew Remembered (Perkins) (retrieved 2026-03-23)
War Memorials Online (retrieved 2026-03-23)
IWM War Memorials Register (retrieved 2026-03-23)
Credits & Acknowledgements
Record compiled by
Keith Binley
Last updated 2026-04-09

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