Profile of Lancaster NN775 by Alexander Vandenbohede, 2016.

History

Lancaster NN775 and her seven crewmembers were part of 514 Squadron, stationed at Waterbeach (Cambridgeshire). detailed to bomb the fuel refinery of Gelsenkirchen. What happened that day, remains a mystery.

At that stage of the war, the German Reich territory was crumbling, and the once so mighty Luftwaffe had lost most of its power. This encouraged RAF Bomber Command to switch sometimes from night bombing to daylight attacks. F/O Holman Kerr’s crew was part of a 170 bomber formation. It was their 7th operational mission (Bomber Command crews had to fly 30 missions in order to complete a tour). The flight towards Gelsenkirchen should have taken 2,5 hours, the return flight to Waterbeach another 2 hours. All we know now is that NN775 suddenly crashed in friendly territory, since Belgium was liberated for six months. An RAF inspection team could only conclude that none of the crew survived. What was left of their remains was buried in a communal grave. Since, due to the marshy conditions of the terrain, not all crewmembers were recovered properly, the families were living in great distress for a long time.
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The seven airmen flying NN775 were:

• Pilot: F/O Holman Kerr (23 years, from Co Armagh, Northern Ireland)
• Navigator: F/Sgt Sidney Smith (21 years)
• Air bomber: F/O Frank Clarke
• Wireless operator: F/Sgt Allan Olsen (20 years – from Toowoomba, Australia)
• Flight engineer: Sgt William Marsden (20 years – from Croston)
• Mid upper gunner: Sgt Christopher Hogg (20 years, from  South Yardley, Birmingham)
• Rear gunner : Sgt Herbert Thomas (23 years - from Jamaica). 

The search for relatives of the crew continues. If you are related to them, or want to know more, used the contact form on the website.
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Cynrik De Decker
President Belgian Aviation History Association

Sources:

• Operations Record Book 514 Squadron, The National Archives, Kew
• The Lurgan Mail, 27 September 1947
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• Australian War Memorial archives, Canberra, Australia
• Chorley, Bill: Bomber Command losses of the 2nd World War, 1945, Midland Counties, 1997
• www.luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be
• http://www.caribbeanaircrew-ww2.com
• Mails Smith-family, 2016, provided by Benny Ceulaers (Planehunters)
• Thanks to André Bruyninckx, who's trying to trace the relatives of NN775, Peter Gulliver/51 Sqn Assn, and Ben Cleynen.

Part of the crew of NN775. 2nd from left is Allan Olsen, on the right probably William Marsden. (source: Carribean aircrew in the RAF during WW2)

Holman Kerr, captain (source: The Lurgan Mail, 27-9-1947)

Bomb aimer Frank Clarke (Clarke family, via 51 Sqn Assn/Peter Gulliver)

Navigator Sydney Smith (source: Smith family)

Wireless operator Allan Olsen (source: Australian War Memorial, Canberra)

The two gunners of the crew: Chris Hogg (left) and Herbert Thomas (Hogg family)

Flight engineer William Marsden (via André Bruyninckx)