97 Bomber Squadron, Bassenge, Liège, Belgium
Posted by: 
TeamYakara
N 50° 45.344 E 005° 35.785
31U E 683131 N 5625877
ROYAL AIR FORCE
LANCASTER ED923 OF-V
97 BOMBER SQUADRON
BASSENGE 9 JUILLET 1943
IN MEMORIAM
Waymark Code: WMYPZW
Location: Liège, Belgium
Date Posted: 07/09/2018
Views: 0
75 years ago, on the night of July 9, 1943, a Lancaster plane of the Royal Air Force crashed on the territory of the commune of Bassenge. The plane, registered ED923 of the 97 Squadron had left the English base of Bourn at 23.16 hours with for mission the bombing of Cologne. But, between midnight and 01.00, he met on his way, near Tongeren, a Messerschmidt 110, German night fighter from the base of St-Truiden and piloted by Lieutenant ERLINGHAGEN. A few bursts of his guns were enough to sink the British plane. The ED923 crashed into the few trees between Gadiot Street and the path behind the current Aldi store. The plane, flying low, was already too low for the crew to have time to use the parachutes. Four calcined bodies were discovered in the wreck; a body behind the current tourist office, another slumped against the wall of the old telephone center and the last hanging from the lines of his parachute in a tree. There were no survivors
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Opening Days/Times:
24/24
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