W F Kelcher and crew

[accadacca]

Hi all
This is my first post so I'll get to my question...
my great Uncle, F/Sgt Walter Foch Kelcher and his crew were KIA near Cologne, 11/09/1942. The NZ crew members are buried adjacent to each other, some in a joint grave, but the English crew member appears to be buried in a different joint grave, in a different row of the same cemetery. I am aware they were all reintered there, but it seems a shame all the crew weren't kept together. Is this unusual?

[errolmartyn]

Aug 13, 2010 11:33:16 GMT 12 accadacca said:

Hi all
This is my first post so I'll get to my question...
my great Uncle, F/Sgt Walter Foch Kelcher and his crew were KIA near Cologne, 11/09/1942. The NZ crew members are buried adjacent to each other, some in a joint grave, but the English crew member appears to be buried in a different joint grave, in a different row of the same cemetery. I am aware they were all reintered there, but it seems a shame all the crew weren't kept together. Is this unusual?

Sgt Lock, the RAF man (and not necessarily English, of course) was the rear gunner. It would seem probable that his remains were recovered at a different time or from a different area to his RNZAF comrades. A not uncommon occurence when bombers fell out of the sky or exploded in mid-air.

Errol

[accadacca]

Hi
That makes sense, another hint as to what actually happened to them , I guess. I understand it was a heavy raid on Dusseldorf that night, with the inevitable casualties.

[oggie2620]

Hi Errol has no doubt given you more details than I could ever give about which sqn he was on etc but since he was a 75 Sqn member you might like to contact their Assn. Glen (the secretary) is on here and I look forward to meeting you at the Christchurch Reunion in 2012!!!
Dee