On November 25th 1942 a Lancaster involved in the Bomber Command mission to Bad Zwischenahn crashed at Easton near Grantham. On board were eight young men who all sadly perished. Three of these young men are buried in the churchyard at Bottesford, a small village in Leciestershire, England.

On the afternoon of November 25th 1942, at 15:00 hrs aircraft R5694 (EM-F) a Lancaster BI of No. 207 Sqn manufactured by A.V. Roe (Manchester), took off from RAF Langar in Nottinghamshire heading for Bad Zwischenahn west of Bremen and south of Wilhelmshaven in northern Germany.

Flying in the aircraft that day were: Flt. Lt. J. Hannan DFC; Sgt. P. Thompson; Flt. Sgt. J. Barnett Lee; Sgt. B McKenzie; Sgt. A. Roberts; Sgt. J. Burton; Sgt. E. Piper and Sgt. J Sanders  It is unclear what happened, but it is thought that the aircraft hit high ground on its return flight, at 18:10 six miles south-east of Grantham near Easton in Lincolnshire. Upon crashing, the aircraft burst into flames killing seven of the crewmen  with one further crewman dying the following day.

They were a young crew, ranging in age from 19 to 26 years of age. Five of the crew are buried in St. Mary the Virgin church in Bottesford near to their former airbase, the others are buried elsewhere: Sgt Burton in Nottingham Northern Cemetery; Sgt Piper in Winchester (Magdalen Hill) Cemetery and Sgt. Sanders in Swansea (Danycraig) Cemetery.

On board the aircraft that day were:

Pilot – Flight Lieutenant Raymund Joseph Hannan DFC (s/n: 43035) age 25:
Flight Engineer – Sergeant Peter John Thompson (s/n: 575861) age 21
Navigator – Flight Sergeant John Kennerleigh Barnett Lee (RAFVR) (s/n 1174918) age 26
Wireless Op./Air Gunner – Sergeant Bryant Leonard McKenzie Jenkin (RNZAF)(s/n 412885) age 24
Wireless Op./Air Gunner – Sergeant Albert Roberts (RAFVR)(s/n 1104522) age 21
Air Gunner  – Sergeant John Bernard Burton (RAFVR) (s/n: 1575141) age 21
Air Gunner – Sergeant Ernest Raymond Donald Piper (RAFVR) (s/n 1319737) age 19
Air Gunner – Sergeant John Sanders (RAFVR) (s/n 1316262) age 20

Flight Lieutenant Raymund Joseph Hannan DFC

Sergeant Peter John Thompson

Sergeant Albert Roberts

Sergeant Bryant Leonard McKenzie Jenkin

Flight Sergeant John Kennerleigh Barnett Lee

May their names live on for evermore.