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Lost War Heroes To Be Reunited After 60 Years

'Lost' war heroes to be reunited after 60 years
A History and Honour news article

The mystery surrounding the whereabouts of two members of a World War II bomber crew who went missing during a bombing raid more than 60 years ago has finally been solved.

Sergeants Stanley Mullenger and John Kehoe of the RAF's 49 Squadron were onboard Hamden P1206 when it took off from RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire at 1714hrs on 8 November 1941 for an intruder sortie in the Bocholt area of northern Germany.

The aircraft was attacked over the Dutch coast by a German night fighter and crashed shortly after 2100hrs into farmland along the Dortstrasse of Berkhout in the neighbourhood of Hoorn. The remains of the other two crew members - Warrant Officer Christopher Saunders DFM and Sergeant James D'Arcy - were recovered by the Germans after the crash and buried. Attempts to recover Sgt Mullenger and Sgt Kehoe were abandoned and they have laid with their aircraft ever since, until that is the Dutch Air Force and Army carried out an excavation in September 2007.

Now Sgt Mullenger and Sgt Kehoe's remains have been recovered and the two airmen are to be laid to rest with full military honours at the General Cemetery in Bergen on Wednesday 7 May 2008



Sue Raftree, a member of the Historical Casualty Casework team at the Service Personnel and Veterans Agency, has coordinated the various aspects of what is a unique story:

"This case was fairly straightforward, the families had been in contact with the local community for some considerable time so they furnished their details to me," Sue explained. "The emotions, particularly for Margaret Walsh, the sister of Sergeant Kehoe, will be, I am sure, very sad. Indeed she has asked for time alone in the church prior to the rest of the Kehoe family and the Mullengers viewing the coffin.

"It is normal policy when a crew, or part of a crew, are found that they are buried in one coffin. They flew together, died together and are therefore buried together. Sgt Kehoe had a fiancée and her daughter will be present at the burial. His fiancée is still alive but is unable to travel.

"The relative of Sgt D'Arcy is also unable to travel, unfortunately, but we will be visiting her after the event to advise her what happened and show her the photographs. Also a member of the RAF will be laying a wreath on her behalf at the burial on Sgt D'Arcy's grave. During the visit Captain Paul Petersen from the Royal Netherlands Air Force will be giving a small piece of Hampden P1206 to the families as a souvenir."



Two of those who will be present at next week's proceedings in Holland are the twin daughters of Warrant Officer Christopher Saunders. Frankie Purser and Jackie Newman were both aged just three years old when their father was killed. Only six months before his death, they had accompanied their father to Buckingham Palace to see him receive the Distinguished Flying Medal. Looking back to March 1941 when her father received his award, Frankie reflected:

"He was a very modest man. When he went to Buckingham Palace to get his Distinguished Flying Medal he took it off before leaving and the photographers outside asked him what he got it for and where was it - he told them that the pin had broken.

"We were very, very proud of him and he was a very brave man, but because we were so young we never really grieved for him at the time. Next week will be very sad but it is a good thing especially for the Mullenger and Kehoe families. Although our father was buried at the time it isn't the same as what will be happening next week."

Frankie's twin sister Jackie added:

"We had never really mourned for our father because we were so young at the time of his death, but now we feel much closer to him and it's a strange feeling."

The burial which will be attended by family members of the fallen men, will be followed by the unveiling of a memorial to the airmen close to the original crash site at Berkhout.