Lancaster NF923 Memorial, Lochem

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On the evening of 23 September 1944, Lancaster NF923 (code KC:M) of 617 Squadron departed RAF Woodhall Spa as part of a Tallboy raid against the Dortmund-Ems Canal aqueduct at Ladbergen — one of the precision targets that defined 617 Squadron's role in the latter stages of the war. 617 Squadron had made its name in May 1943 with the Dams Raid, and by 1944 it operated as Bomber Command's specialist heavy-weapon unit, delivering the 12,000 lb Tallboy deep-penetration bomb against hardened infrastructure targets that conventional bombing could not reach.

On the return leg, at approximately 23:15, NF923 was intercepted and attacked by Hauptmann Heinz-Wolfgang Schnaufer, commanding officer of Stab IV./NJG1. This was Schnaufer's 96th confirmed aerial victory — a figure that places it within the most intense period of his extraordinary career. Schnaufer was the highest-scoring night fighter ace of the entire war, ultimately credited with 121 victories, all achieved against the RAF's night offensive. He flew the Messerschmitt Bf 110 throughout his operational career, earned the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds — Germany's highest military decoration — and was one of only 27 men to receive it. He survived the war, only to die in a road accident in Bordeaux in 1950, aged 28.

The attack set NF923 on fire. The pilot, Flight Lieutenant Geoffrey Stevenson Stout DFC, ordered the crew to bail out. Stout himself remained at the controls to hold the aircraft steady as his crew jumped, giving them the time and altitude they needed to escape. The burning Lancaster crashed near Vordensebinnenweg, Lochem, at approximately 23:15. Stout did not survive. He was 23 years old.

Stout's decision to remain at the controls was the act the memorial commemorates. Six men had the chance to jump because their pilot chose to stay. Of those six, two were killed — Flight Engineer P/O Alan Benting bailed out but died of injuries approximately two days later at Enschede Hospital, and Navigator F/O Clyde Graham's fate remains unclear, possibly killed or taken prisoner. The remaining four — Bomb Aimer F/O William Rupert (RCAF), Wireless Op F/O Ronald Allen DFC, Mid Upper Gunner F/Sgt Peter Whittaker DFM, and Rear Gunner F/O Reginald Petch DFC — survived, with Whittaker and Petch both successfully evading capture and returning to Allied lines.

F/Sgt Peter Whittaker's evasion is particularly notable: he escaped a Gestapo encounter in February 1945 and was liberated on 31 March 1945. F/O Reginald Petch was debriefed on 11 April 1945.

The memorial at Vordensebinnenweg, Lochem, was unveiled on 23 September 2024 — exactly 80 years after the crash. The ceremony was attended by RAF Squadron Leader Russel Howarth and RCAF Flight Sergeant Krista Semenchuk, reflecting the binational crew. Local schoolchildren read poems at the service, giving the commemoration a community dimension that connects the next generation to the events of 1944. A herdenkingsroute (memorial route) was also established in the area.

Geoffrey Stout is buried at Lochem New General Cemetery, Row 1, Grave 2. Alan Benting is buried at Enschede Eastern General Cemetery, joint grave 200–201. Both are recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

The memorial at Vordensebinnenweg was unveiled on 23 September 2024, exactly 80 years after the crash, with RAF Squadron Leader Russel Howarth and RCAF Flight Sergeant Krista Semenchuk attending to reflect the binational crew. Local schoolchildren read poems at the ceremony, and a herdenkingsroute has been established in the surrounding area to connect the wider community to the events of 1944.

Do you know of any commemorative events or annual services held at this memorial? We would love to hear from local communities who remember.