The last mission on R5552

On the evening of 20th December 1943 the Royal Air Force carries out an attack on Frankfurt with 650 planes. During this action 41 planes are lost. One of them is a four-engine bomber type Avro Lancaster Mk I. The plane has serial number R5552 and flies RAF No. 166, squadron code AS-P2.
That evening the plane is flying its 50th mission and is therefore a veteran. The crew is together for its first mission. They will never become veterans, for unfortunately they do not survive this mission.
On their way to Germany the plane is hit by anti-aircraft fire. In spite of efforts to make an emergency landing, the plane crashes on fire nearby farm 'De Torenstee', situated at the Potterweg near Middelharnis.
The farmhouse is narrowly missed, but the barn with stables gets on fire. In the smouldering wreckage of the ill-fated Lancaster the lifeless bodies of the seven crew members are found. A few days later they are all interred in the old cemetery at the Hoflaan of Middelharnis, where they rest in peace to this day.