EVIDENCE, ANECDOTES, AND RELATED FINDINGS ON: The 26 July 1945 Aerial Collision Between Two R.A.F. Liberators, EW225 and EW247, and the Burials of the Fourteen Airmen Who Died (photo courtesy of Clark Day) Researched/Compiled by Matt Poole, with special thanks to Patricia Lanegan, Yvonne Colebatch, George Geeson, and Ron Bramley Matthew J. Poole 12307 Middle Road Wheaton, MD 20906 USA Tel: 301-933-1727 E-mail:
[email protected] VERSION 6, 27 November 2008 Matthew J. Poole 12307 Middle Road Wheaton, MD 20906 USA Tel: 301-933-1727 E-mail:
[email protected] VERSION 6, 27 November 2008 EVIDENCE, ANECDOTES, AND RELATED FINDINGS ON: The 26 July 1945 Aerial Collision Between Two R.A.F. Liberators, EW225 and EW247, and the Burials of the Fourteen Airmen Who Died Researched/Compiled by Matt Poole, with special thanks to Patricia Lanegan, Yvonne Colebatch, George Geeson, and Ron Bramley Table of Contents PART ONE: INTRODUCTION 1.A. Connecting the past to the present: my links to 26 July 1945 1.B. Historical overview: 26 July 1945 and the graves of the fallen airmen PART TWO: BASIC DETAILS ON THE AIRMEN WHO DIED AND THEIR NEXT-OF-KIN 2.A. The crew of Consolidated B-24 Liberator EW225 2.B. The crew of Consolidated B-24 Liberator EW247 PART THREE: EVIDENCE OF THE COLLISION, FROM OFFICIAL RECORDS, EYEWITNESSES, AND OTHER AIR FORCE PERSONNEL 3.A. Excerpt of 31 October 1985 letter sent to Yvonne Colebatch, daughter of Peter Ettlinger, by the UK Ministry of Defence, Air Historical Branch 3.B. Transcript of the official accident report sent to Yvonne Colebatch, daughter of Peter Ettlinger, by the UK Ministry of Defence, Air Historical Branch, in a letter dated 16 June 1995 3.C.