Wellington BK313 Memorial, Uelsen (Hollboom)

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BK313 departed Mildenhall on the evening of 6 October 1942 as part of a 237-aircraft raid on Osnabrück. Unusually, it turned back early — its bomb bay doors had jammed shut, making it impossible to drop its load. On the return flight, crossing Lower Saxony near Uelsen, it was intercepted at 4,000 metres by Lt Hans Krause of Stab I./NJG 3 in a Dornier Do 217J at 23:04. All five crew were killed. The aircraft came down at Hollboom, a locality within Uelsen parish.

The crew were initially buried at Rheine and later moved to Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, where they share adjacent graves (24.B.2-6). F/O Smith, the Canadian pilot from Ottawa, was the most senior. The two married men — P/O Albery from Wolverhampton and P/O Lennard from Devon — are among those buried there. Sgt Loombe was from Bournemouth and Sgt Hockenhull from the Wirral.

The Heimatverein Uelsen maintains the local history of the crash with documentary detail, including the German nightfighter crew's unit, departure time, and the specific commendation received by Lt Krause.

Heimatverein Uelsen (local heritage society) maintains a detailed account of the crash at https://www.heimatverein-uelsen.de/uelser-geschichte/flugzeugabsturz-hollboom/, including the nightfighter crew's unit, the bomber's early-return circumstances, and the commendation received by Lt Krause.

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