The story of one Lancaster & her crew
LM658 Crew List
Avro Lancaster LM 658 (HW-W) Crew List and Summary of Established Personal Details Age and status details as of 12/08/44 The names of the LM658 crew are now inextricably linked with the events of that August night over occupied Europe and this page links the biographical details for each member of the crew. Details are of course incomplete but we're adding more information & photographs as they come to light. Please don't hesitate to contact us if you feel you can add anything to this … [Read More...]
The Hood Story
Flying Officer Gerald Hood (Navigator LM658) 1922-1945 "Gefusilleerd Door De Bezetter" (Executed By The Invaders) On the outskirts of the village of Zenderen, near to Almelo in the province of Overijssel, Eastern Netherlands, there is a path leading through the wooded area known as "De Vloedbeld," should you ever walk this way you will come across an impressive bronze memorial statue in a clearing. Nearby are several white tablets laid in memory of local Dutch patriots who lost their … [Read More...]
On this particular night a second pilot, Flt /Lt Holland was present in the cockpit for his operational familiarisation trip, referred to by the crews as a "second dickie."
At around 0110 local time LM658 had crashed in flames on farmland near the town of Hardenberg, to the North of Almelo, Eastern Holland. Four of the crew perished in the crash, four baled out successfully, one of whom would eventually meet a most tragic end.
LM658… Just one of many, one Lancaster, one crew of eight individual men brought together from all walks of life, with a common purpose, to do their duty. This is their story, with particular emphasis on the remarkable and tragic fate of the navigator P/O Gerald Hood, but let it stand as a tribute to all who served with RAF Bomber Command during 1939-45, especially to the 55,573 who paid the ultimate price in the name of freedom, their stories should be told and never forgotten.
This site supports the campaign to honour all who flew with Bomber Command during 1939-45 (whatever their nation of birth) with a long overdue campaign medal.
