MONTCHÂLONS CHURCHYARD
Aisne
France
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 49.51348, Longitude: 3.7268
Location Information
Montchâlons is a village and commune about 11 kilometres south-east of Laon and 3 kilometres south-west of Festieux on the road from Laon to Reims (Marne).
History Information
In the churchyard, near the north-eastern corner, are the graves of seven airmen. Five of them belonged to the Royal Air Force, one to the Royal Australian Air Force and one to the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Flight Details: (Provided by Barry Cuttell)
Base: R.A.F. Holme on Spalding Moor, North Yorkshire
Unit: 76 Sqdn. Bomber Command
Aircraft: Halifax Mk III, serial LW656
Target: Railway Yards, Laon, Aisne, France
Incident: The aircraft crashed at Montchâlons (Aisne). There were no survivors.
Montchâlons is a village and commune about 11 kilometres south-east of Laon and 3 kilometres south-west of Festieux on the road from Laon to Reims (Marne).
History Information
In the churchyard, near the north-eastern corner, are the graves of seven airmen. Five of them belonged to the Royal Air Force, one to the Royal Australian Air Force and one to the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Flight Details: (Provided by Barry Cuttell)
Base: R.A.F. Holme on Spalding Moor, North Yorkshire
Unit: 76 Sqdn. Bomber Command
Aircraft: Halifax Mk III, serial LW656
Target: Railway Yards, Laon, Aisne, France
Incident: The aircraft crashed at Montchâlons (Aisne). There were no survivors.
Images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
All of the following were killed on 23rd June 1944.
(76 Squadron)
425978 Flight Sergeant
Michael William Cosgrove
76 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force
23rd June 1944, aged 34.
Son of Daniel Cosgrove. and of Jennie Rose Cosgrove (nee Yeatman), of Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Michael William Cosgrove
76 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force
23rd June 1944, aged 34.
Son of Daniel Cosgrove. and of Jennie Rose Cosgrove (nee Yeatman), of Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand.
429831 Flight Sergeant
Philip Stroud May
Royal Australian Air Force
23rd June 1944, aged 31.
Son of Frank Stroud Ashmeade May and Ada Janet May, of Prospect, South Australia.
His headstone bears the inscription "His Duty Fearlessly And Nobly Done. Ever Remembered"
Philip Stroud May
Royal Australian Air Force
23rd June 1944, aged 31.
Son of Frank Stroud Ashmeade May and Ada Janet May, of Prospect, South Australia.
His headstone bears the inscription "His Duty Fearlessly And Nobly Done. Ever Remembered"
Other Burials
656214 Warrant Officer Henry Lanwarne Cribb, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, aged 28. Son of William Lanwarne Cribb and Catherine Edythe Cribb, of Louth, Lincolnshire; husband of Elizabeth Cribb, of Cambridge Park, Twickenham, Middlesex. his headstone bears the inscription "And Wave Beyond The Stars That All Is Well"
1605219 Sergeant Geoffrey Albert Danbury, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, aged 21. Son of Albert Samuel and May Emily Danbury, of Ryde, Isle of Wight. His headstone bears the inscription "And So He Passed Over And All The Trumpets Sounded For Him On The Other Side"
975825 Sergeant Ian Hamilton Ross, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
3000076 Sergeant Robert Eric Royal, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, aged 19. Son of William Charles and Elsie Mary Royal, of Stratfield, Reading, Berkshire. His headstone bears the inscription "Treasured Memories Of A Dear Son And Brother. Dad, John And All"
1285805 Sergeant Joseph Steward Webster, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, aged 29. Husband of Alice E. Webster, of Homerton, London.
656214 Warrant Officer Henry Lanwarne Cribb, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, aged 28. Son of William Lanwarne Cribb and Catherine Edythe Cribb, of Louth, Lincolnshire; husband of Elizabeth Cribb, of Cambridge Park, Twickenham, Middlesex. his headstone bears the inscription "And Wave Beyond The Stars That All Is Well"
1605219 Sergeant Geoffrey Albert Danbury, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, aged 21. Son of Albert Samuel and May Emily Danbury, of Ryde, Isle of Wight. His headstone bears the inscription "And So He Passed Over And All The Trumpets Sounded For Him On The Other Side"
975825 Sergeant Ian Hamilton Ross, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve.
3000076 Sergeant Robert Eric Royal, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, aged 19. Son of William Charles and Elsie Mary Royal, of Stratfield, Reading, Berkshire. His headstone bears the inscription "Treasured Memories Of A Dear Son And Brother. Dad, John And All"
1285805 Sergeant Joseph Steward Webster, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, aged 29. Husband of Alice E. Webster, of Homerton, London.
