Canadian Virtual War Memorial

Identification – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Photo of LESLIE ROBERT TOWSLEY – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Document – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Document – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Correspondence – Submitted for the project Operation Picture Me

Memorial – Memorial to 550 RAF Squadron - St Niklaas Communal Cemetery ... photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Memorial – Memorial reads: Here rest seven crew members of the 550 Sqdn RAF North Killingholme who gave their lives for our freedom. Lancaster LL851 took off from North Killingholme (Lincolnshire) on May 21 1944 at 10:40 pm for a bombing mission to the industrial area of Duisburg in the Ruhr. In spite of a thick cloud cover over the target, the objectives were accurately met, paralysing all industrial activity in Duisburg for one year. During the return flight, the Lancaster was probably shot down by a German night fighter and crashed on May 22 1944 at 02:15 am at Heimolen, some 3 km south of Sint-Niklaas. All crew members perished and were buried in the town’s communal cemetery. P/O P J Dukelow – Pilot Sgt D S Bruty – Flight Engineer P/O L R Dunham – Navigator Sgt L R Towsley RCAF – Bomb Aimer Sgt D A W Mayo – Wireless Operator Sgt S A Jarvis – Air Gunner P/O H E Macduff – RCAF Air Gunner We Will Remember Them ... photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Grave Marker

Entrance

Grave marker – St Niklaas Communal Cemetery ... May 2019 ... photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Memorial – Pilot Officer Leslie Robert Towsley is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Memorial – Pilot Officer Leslie Robert Towsley is also commemorated on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens

Memorial – Father J P Lardie's comments as inscribed on the Bomber Command Memorial Wall in Nanton, AB … photo courtesy of Marg Liessens