My tribute to great uncle whose plane was shot down on D-Day

A MAN from Henley is in France today (Friday) unveiling a memorial for his great uncle, a pilot who was killed during the D-Day operation 80 years ago.

Simon Waller, 62, of Meadow Road, wanted to honour Flight Sergeant Arthur Waller, who died when his bomber was shot down during the night of June 6, 1944, killing all the crew of seven. He was just 22.

The aircraft had taken off from Burn in North Yorkshire and was over Châteaudun in occupied northern France when it was hit in the early hours of the next day.

Mr Waller visited the area last summer to try to find the crash site and then arranged to erect the memorial.

He travelled to Jallans, a village east of Châteadun, with his wife Caroline for the ceremony.

Mr Waller, who owns classic car dealers Motodrome in Nuffield, said: “The aircraft was a Handley Page Halifax III heavy bomber, serial number MZ619, squadron codes LK-H, from 578 squadron.

“The crew was my great uncle, Fl Sgt Arthur Alfred Waller, the pilot, Sgt George Robert Armstrong, flight engineer, Sgt Robert Horace Brough, navigator, Sgt Stanley Eric Moss, wireless operator, Sgt Owen Frederick Sisley, bomb aimer, Sgt David Richard Taylor, mid-upper gunner, and Sgt James Taylor, rear gunner.

“The aircraft was engaged in a raid on the railway marshalling yards at Chateaudun when it was hit by flak over the target and crashed, apparently on fire and out of control, around 5km east of the target, near Jallans.

“Their route to Châteaudun would have taken them over Henley in the same way that an aircraft from the same squadron crashed and exploded in Carpenters Wood, near Hurley, in July 1944 after catching fire.”

Mr Waller tried to find the crash site before contacting local historian Michel Lerouil, who was able to help him.

Last summer, he visited the site with his son Jake, 30, who is an historian.

He said: “We located the crash site and recovered lots of the aircraft fragments in the field.

“It was a strange feeling; it was like history coming alive.

“The fact that I now have a small part of the aircraft that my great uncle flew and died in is interesting, to say the least.

“I didn’t think we would find anything after almost 80 years.

“We approached the local council with the idea of erecting a memorial to the crew near the crash site in time for the 80th anniversary.

“I’m pleased to say they were more than receptive to the idea. It is really is a fine memorial to seven brave men. I hope it will stand for many years to come.

“The ceremony is being held overlooking the field where the bomber fell, just east of Jallans.

“My speech will be in French, dealing with what happened on June 7, the loss of life in Châteaudun as a result of the raid and the fact that it was the beginning of the end of four years of German occupation for the citizens.”

Mr Waller, who also has two daughters, Millie, 29, and Lucy, 26, said his late father Alan, who died in 2006, aged 76, had been deeply affected by his loss.

He added: “I’ve been interested in wartime aviation since I was a small boy, probably fired by my father recounting his memories of his uncle.

“I’ve thought about doing something about this for years but never got around to it until a couple of years ago when I found myself passing through Châteaudun while on holiday.”