We are hoping to raise the funds to bring home the wreckage of Halifax Bomber DT795 from Wapenveld, Holland and to build a permanent memorial to the 7 crew members lost onboard this aircraft which we hope to place in the grounds of St James of Compostella church in the village of Lissett

Written below is a short piece about the aircraft and its crew on its final mission, with this fundraising we hope we can bring the aircraft "home", 75 years after it left on its final mission

On the night of April 3rd at 19:41 Halifax DT795 took off to bomb the city of Essen – with a total force of 348 aircraft (225 Lancaster’s, 113 Halifaxs and 10 Mosquitoes) The weather forecast was not good for the operation but it turned out there was no cloud over the target which resulted in accurate bombing.

Widespread damage was caused in the centre and western half of the city with 635 buildings destroyed and a further 526 suffering severe damage. Casualties on the ground amounted to 118 killed and 458 injured.

During the operation, 3 aircraft from 158 squadron were lost…

Halifax II DT635 NP-F flown by 27 year old Fl/Lt. John D. Cole RAFVR from Alexandria, Egypt, killed with all 6 other crew members.

Halifax II HR754 NP-K flown by 29 year old Sgt. John Keedwell RAFVR from Purton, Berkeley, killed with 3 other crew, 3 injured when their aircraft crashed near Sigglesthorne, Yorkshire on return.

It is understood that DT795 NP-N was attacked by a German nightfighter piloted by Uffz.Emil Heinzelmann (1) of 8./NJG1 at 23.50 with the aircraft coming down in the Appeldoorn Canal, Wapenveld, Holland

On board was…

W/O Frederick Blake of Oregon, USA – Aged 26

Sgt. Gerard Stanley Walters of Stratford, Essex, England – Aged 20

Sgt. William David Hawkins of Gloucester, England – Aged 23

Sgt. John Ceredig Jones of Llanon, Cardiganshire, Wales – Aged 31

Sgt. Philip Henry Eldridge of Kings Langley, Hertfordshire, England – Aged 29

W/O.2 Rodney Webber of Bellingham, Washington, USA – Aged 21

Sgt. Thomas Victor Trollope of Walthamstow, Essex, England – Aged 22

It had been discovered that an unmarked Commonwealth War Grave in the local cemetery at Wapenveld may perhaps contain 2 of the missing crew, they were buried during the removal of the bulk of the wreckage a few weeks after the crash in 1943.

In late 2014, Dutch Authorities recovered further remains of the wreckage along with the remains of 2 of the missing crew.

In June 2016 the remaining crew members were buried in Wapenveld Cemetery