MONTCHÂLONS CHURCHYARD
Aisne
France

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:

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.


Pictures © Barry Cuttell

Flight Sergeant (Air Bomber) COSGROVE, MICHAEL WILLIAM Service Number 425978 Died 23/06/1944 Aged 34 76 (R.A.F.) Sqdn. Royal New Zealand Air Force Son of Daniel Cosgrove. and of Jennie Rose Cosgrove (nee Yeatman), of Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand.

Warrant Officer CRIBB, HENRY LANWARNE Service Number 656214 Died 23/06/1944 Aged 28 76 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Son of William Lanwarne Cribb and Catherine Edythe Cribb, of Louth, Lincolnshire; husband of Elizabeth Cribb, of Cambridge Park, Twickenham, Middlesex. INSCRIPTION. AND WAVE BEYOND THE STARS THAT ALL IS WELL".

Sergeant (Navigator) DANBURY, GEOFFREY ALBERT Service Number 1605219 Died 23/06/1944 Aged 21 76 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Son of Albert Samuel and May Emily Danbury, of Ryde, Isle of Wight. INSCRIPTION. AND SO HE PASSED OVER AND ALL THE TRUMPETS SOUNDED FOR HIM ON THE OTHER SIDE".

Flight Sergeant MAY, PHILIP STROUD Service Number 429831 Died 23/06/1944 Aged 31 Royal Australian Air Force Son of Frank Stroud Ashmeade May and Ada Janet May, of Prospect, South Australia. INSCRIPTION. HIS DUTY FEARLESSLY AND NOBLY DONE. EVER REMEMBERED.

Sergeant (Air Gunner) ROSS, IAN HAMILTON Service Number 975825 Died 23/06/1944 76 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve

Sergeant (Flight Engineer) ROYAL, ROBERT ERIC Service Number 3000076 Died 23/06/1944 Aged 19 76 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Son of William Charles and Elsie Mary Royal, of Stratfield, Reading, Berkshire. INSCRIPTION. TREASURED MEMORIES OF A DEAR SON AND BROTHER. DAD, JOHN AND ALL.

Sergeant (Air Gunner) WEBSTER, JOSEPH STEWARD Service Number 1285805 Died 23/06/1944 Aged 29 76 Sqdn. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve Husband of Alice E. Webster, of Homerton, London.