Wellington T2514 Memorials, Niederdonven, Luxembourg

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Wellington T2514 departed RAF Alconbury on the night of 25/26 August 1941, one of many aircraft tasked against Karlsruhe in the strategic offensive against German industrial targets. The aircraft came down in a field between Oberdonven and Niederdonven in the Moselle valley of Luxembourg, killing all six crew.

Luxembourg was under German occupation and the crash would have been attended to by German forces. The six men are commemorated at Rheinberg War Cemetery in Germany. The local community's response — two separate memorials, one in the street and one inside the parish church of Saint-Martin — reflects an unusually strong degree of identification with these airmen for a Luxembourg village. The National Archives at Kew (AIR 81/8561) holds photographs of the crew, providing one of the better personal records among 40 Squadron losses of this period.

Only Sgt Shea's full details have been confirmed from open sources. The other five crew are known by surname only from the IBCC losses record: Youldon, Cole, Appleby, Duthie, and Fisher.

Niederdonven village community; Église Saint-Martin parish; metal sculpture and information board on Rue Benert maintained by the local community.

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