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RAF aircraft's crash sites in Province of Luxembourg:
Botassart

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Last update: 25/06/23


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* To the 103 Squadron *
* To the crew of L5514 *
* To the monument erected in remembrance *
* Cemetery where rest the crew *

Crash site of Battle L5514
26/048/1940

aircraft
cest raf squadron
Unit: 103 Squadron
Aircraft: Battle
Code: L5514
Base: Rheges/St lucien Ferme
Mission: Roumont
Crew officer: Fl/O LEYDEN J N
Incident: Shot down by German fighter

Location: (Prov. Luxembourg)

crash

Facts

Fairey Battle Mk.I (PM-T) 103 Squadron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) 26 May 1940 when lost (failed to return) from combat operations. Two of the three crew were killed, one survived to be taken as a PoW. According to the official Air Ministry file into the incident (File AIR 81/659): "Battle L5514 crashed at Ucimont on the Belgium-Luxembourg border, 26 May 1940. Sergeant E G Hayward and Sergeant W F Hubbard: report of deaths. Flight Lieutenant J N Leyden: prisoner of war"
An ambitious attack was arranged at short notice with the target being the Chateau de Roumont at Ochamps, Belgium. This splendid country mansion was being used as a Luftwaffe HQ facility and it was thought that there was to be an important meeting of high ranking Luftwaffe Officers there that day. 103 Squadron, 142 Squadron and 150 Squadron participated in the raid with 10 Battles. A escort was provided by Hurricanes of 1 Squadron and 73 Squadron.
The 4 Battles of 142 Squadron were first on target in driving rain, dived down to 2,000 feet and released their bombs which burst all round the building with possibly one direct hit.
With the rain still heavy 103 Squadron arrived 2 minutes later and made their dive bombing attack with 3 Battles, Jimmy Leyden having been shot down en route. Flak was intense. It was impossible to observe the results due to bad visibility. However many German aircraft were clearly noted on the airfields in the vicinity. One of the Battles (L5515) was unable to release and bombed a nearby railway junction as an alternative claiming a direct hit.
150 Squadron with 2 Battles attacked soon after. P/O Vernon stated that visibility was still poor due to the heavy rain but the rear of the building had been clearly hit with bomb craters around the southern end of the building. Considerable flak was encountered in the target area. On leaving the target he was attacked by 4 Bf-110s and his gunner probably shot one down which was seen to be on fire. He also reported many aircraft on nearby German airfields.
L5514 was lost in combat. Shot down by a Bf 109 of 1/JG.53, piloted by Obfw. Muller at 10:15, Crashed at Le Tombeau le Geant (The Giant's Tomb) at Botassart. Jimmy Leyden was shot and wounded as he descended in his parachute. He was then severely beaten by German soldiers and left for dead in an orchard. Local people who wanted to help him were threatened and had to keep away. Later he was collected by the Germans, eventually recovered and was POW for the remainder of the war. The two crew fatalities were buried at Ucimont Churchyard, Luxembourg, Belgium
The reported crash location of Botassart is a hamlet in the Belgian town of Bouillon located in the Walloon Region in the province of Luxembourg. It was part of the old town of Ucimont, a village which is two kilometers away, and overhangs for a hundred meters the Semois and its "Tomb of the Giant", an impressive natural site, at approximate co ordinates 49°49' North, 5°03' East.

Source: Aviation-Safety.net

Sources:
Aviation-Safety.net
The International Bomber Command Centre (IBCC)
Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC)
Aircrew Remembered
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