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Lucky13
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Date: 15-MAY-1940
Time: 10:00 Local Time
Type: Westland Lysander
Owner/operator: 13 Squadron Royal Air Force (13 Sqn RAF)
Registration: L4813/OO-R
Fatalities:Fatalities: 2 /
Occupants: 2
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location: Meerdaalwoud, Limietendreef Bierbeek, near Leuven (Louvain)
Phase: Combat
Nature: Military
Departure airport: Douai, France
Destination airport:
Narrative: Westland Lysander Mk.I L4813 (OO-R) 13 Sqaudron, RAF: Written off (destroyed) when lost (failed to return) from combat operations on 15 May 1940. According to the official Air Ministry file on the incident (File AIR 81/8367): "Leading Aircraftman C F Lucas and Pilot Officer A C Ollerenshaw, report of deaths; Lysander 51260 crashed at Louvain near Brussels, Belgium, on the 15 of May 1940.
Operation: Tactical Reconnaissance over the Dyle Line. Crashed at 10.00 hrs (Belgian Time, GMT +1hr) into the Meerdaalwoud, a few meters from the Limietendreef at Bierbeek, near Leuven (Louvain). Exact cause unknown, but possibly shot down by Oberlt Fronhöfer of 9./JG26. Both crew killed.
Crew of Lysander L4813:
Pilot Officer (Pilot) Alan Christie Ollerenshaw, RAF 41729 (New Zealander), age 19, killed in action 15/05/1940
Leading Aircraftman (Air Gunner) Charles F. Lucas, RAFVR 937157, age 23, killed in action 15/05/1940,
Both crew fatalities were buried at Leuven Communal Cemetery, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium